


Crossroads of the Sparks

by Hakuyaku



Category: Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers AU - Fandom
Genre: Abusive Relationships, Alternative Universe - Transformers, Developing Relationship, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Rape/Non-con Elements, Rough Sex, Sexual Content, Sibling Incest, Sticky, Twincest
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-14
Updated: 2016-04-17
Packaged: 2018-03-17 19:24:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 13
Words: 95,960
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3541163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hakuyaku/pseuds/Hakuyaku
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU. Pre-war. Sunstreaker was on a journey to find his separated-at-birth twin brother, but a mistake forced him to work as a pleasure mech in Kaon. What would happen if one day he had to serve and then fell in love with a client who turned out to be Sideswipe, his twin brother?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Faceless Brother

**Author's Note:**

> I've been in the Transformers fandom for a very long time but this is the first time I gather enough courage to start writing a fanfic of my own. Please note that this is AU that I combine elements from G1, IDW and the games War for Cybertron and Fall of Cybertron and some of my own headcannons. I had a good time writing this since the twins are my favourite characters in the show and I hope you enjoy reading this too.
> 
> Klik ~ a Cybertronian second
> 
> Cycle ~ a Cybertronian minute
> 
> Megacycle ~ a Cybertronian hour
> 
> Orn ~ a Cybertronain day
> 
> Quintun ~ a Cybertronian week
> 
> Diun ~ a Cybertronian month
> 
> Stellar cycle ~ a Cybertronian year

**Pre-war Cybertron**

_**Somewhere on Kaon...** _

Away from prying eyes, being locked up in a dimly lit small quarter, with both arms cuffed behind back - almost painfully, was a yellow-panted mech with well-built frame and worn-out faceplate. He was lying on a double berth, writhing, groaning, and venting as a rather big mech with dark green paint job hovered above him, black servos playing with his chassis, touching and caressing every sensitive parts of the yellow mech.

"So beautiful..."

The green mech whispered, earning a growl from the other as a response.

_He hated this. He wanted to punch that mech in the face. He would if his hands weren't cuffed. He would if he wasn't in this Primus forsaken place. He would if-_

The angry thoughts were interrupted as he felt  _something_  poke between his spread legs. Something  _large_  and  _hard_.

_Something that he would tear it off if he could._

He offlined his optics, preparing what was to come, knowing full-well what would happen next. He tried to calm the spark that was pulsing in rage and pain underneath the yellow chestplate. Trying to believe that everything would be  _alright_ , trying to convince  _his spark_  that this was nothing, that he was strong and nothing could break him. Trying to tell  _an unknown mech_  that he never met before on the other side of the twins bond that  _his brother was_   _alright_. The yellow mech knew that his unknown twin would sense his feelings, he would feel his brother's rage, pain, shame and  _self-disgust_. The thought of another yellow mech being swallowed in unknown pain and negative feelings despite not knowing what had caused them troubled him deeply.

_Hey, brother, whoever you are, wherever you are, it's going to be alright._

He had come to Kaon to find his brother, his separated-at-birth twin brother. He had come to this city to look for the other haft of his spark, to label a name on a mech that had shared his feelings with him through their twins bond oh for far too long. He tried to venture into the infamous dangerous Kaon - the only clue of his brother's whereabouts. Maybe he had been too arrogant, believing that nothing could threaten his life, nothing could break him. He had walked into danger with his optics shut, alone and bare back, helm held high, oh so proud and almighty.

And then he fell, into traps and abysses, with his back being stabbed by the sharpest blade and helm being pressed down like a pathetic mech begging bystanders for some Energon to live by.

His pride was mutilated, reducing into his present self, living on prayers and wishful thinking. Just like now, as he was trying to think, to convince both himself and his twin on the other side of the bond that things would be alright, the green mech had grabbed his legs, parting them wider as he push that  _fragging thing_  into him, into his under-stimulated and dry valve.

He could only groan in disgust.

"So beautiful... so tight... Sunstreaker," the green mech moaned as he push further into the yellow mech with the called name.

_Shut up._

Sunstreaker barked at the mech in his processor. Sometimes he would wish he could get some enjoyment out of this, but this pride prevented him so. Would he want his twin to feel his shameful lust through their bond? Would he want him to know his brother was a whore? He wouldn't bend his will for anybody, his frame, the frame that he was once cherished, proud of, even obsessive of to the point of snapping at any mech who attempted to touch him, this frame had already been lost. So he told himself,  _lose no more_ , be it his spark, his affection, or anymore of  _him_.

The mech above him kept moaning and groaning as he thrust into the under-stretched valve, not noticing how Sunstreaker was biting his lips in a almost too painful way. The pace was slow, but the mech made sure to make every thrust  _hard_ and  _deep_. Sunstreaker didn't even open the cover of his offline spike, not that the green mech cared anyway. All of the mechs that came here were only interested in his valve.

When Sunstreaker felt the overload of the mech, he let out a frustrated groan. A feeling of disgust swirling inside him at the same time he felt the fluids filling his valve.  _At least it's over,_  he told himself. The large mech collapsed on top of him, venting hard and starting to whisper in his audial all of the sweet words and lies that he could think of. Sunstreaker said nothing in return, shifting his helm away from the green mech's optics. The mech let out a laugh, planted a light kiss on the beautiful tired faceplate and gently rocking his spike that was still buried inside Sunstreaker.

_He fragging hated this._

* * *

_**Meanwhile, somewhere else in Kaon...** _

Sideswipe lied awake on the berth, optics fixing on the dark grey ceiling, an arm laid upon his forehelm. He wondered what had caused distress in his spark that woke him up from recharge like this. He felt... sad, hurt, shameful, vulnerable. And yet, he didn't know why.

The red mech sat up, buried his helm in his servos. He wasn't exactly sure for how long had he sat like that, trying to figure out what was happening to him. As sudden as they came, the feelings were gone. A sense of reassuring, feelings of warmth and care erupted inside him, and Sideswipe relaxed into the strange yet familiar touch of them. Silently, he laid back on the berth, with his optics still opened wide.

_::Hey,::_  he started to comm. the only mech that he had come to accept as a family member,  _::Are you still up?::_

On the other side of the comm. link, Sideswipe could hear a groan, and a sigh,  _::Nope::_

_::Doesn't sound like that to me,::_ Sideswipe chuckled.

_::What is it, Sides? Need me to come to your room and sing you a lullaby?::_

_::Please don't::_

The mech on the other side laughed,  _::C'mon, you know you want it::_

_::I want to be fully functional tomorrow, thanks::_ Sideswipe smiled, earning a laugh from the other mech. A moment of awkward silence passed by before Sideswipe started,  _::It happens again, Ironhide::_

Ironhide was quiet for a few cycles,  _::Mood-swing?::_

_::Yeah, because of the match tomorrow, maybe? But you know me, 'Hide. I don't easily get nervous. Sometimes I feel like my spark has its own spark, feeling on its own::_

_::How are you doin', Sides::_

_::Like slag::_

Ironhide let out a sigh,  _::Get some recharge. Maybe it will get better?::_

Sideswipe stayed silent for a few cycles. If there were any words to describe the young red mech, beside  _arrogant_ ,  _prankster_  and  _strong_  and maybe  _handsome_ , it was  _mood-swing_. Sometimes, ever since he was still a sparkling, Sideswipe could rapidly change his mood, feelings negative in all of sudden. Not all of the moods were bad, though, because whenever he actually felt down, his spark pulsed in understanding, in sympathy, and did all it could to comfort him, to flood his system with affection and care.

It felt like he had another mech living inside him.

_::Yeah,.:_ finally, Sideswipe replied,  _::Thanks, 'Hide. Sorry for bother you::_

_::Anytime::_ said Ironhide,  _::You are, after all, my best student, one of the best gladiators in Kaon. You have a big match tomorrow, Sides. Try to recharge::_

* * *

It had been a couple of megacycles since the last mech that Sunstreaker served.

Sunstreaker was sitting on the berth, reading the datapad about the city's latest news. It helped keeping him updated on the events surrounding him since he wasn't allowed to leave without permissions. He kept hoping his brother's face would appear on the news, so that he could at least learn something about him. Sunstreaker knew his twin must be beautiful, and hard to miss, just like him. He had to admit that even now he still spent a lot of time checking out his own reflection in the mirror in his room. At least it helped boosting some of his remaining ego, making him feel better and lightening up his usual sullen mood. Sunstreaker would looked at his image reflected in the mirror and believed that his twin brother would also be like that, a beautiful, yellow mech with exotic helm fins and well-built frame. Maybe not yellow? Maybe a different color, perhaps. But a mech could dream, right?

He wondered, what his twin brother was like. Was he living in the upper-class circle? Or was he a working mech? Or perhaps, a gladiator? They had shared their feelings through the twins bond ever since both of them were still sparklings. They were each other's emotional support, one tried to cheer, to comfort whenever the other was troubled. It had gone on for such a long time that made Sunstreaker realize he didn't need a faceplate, or even a designation, to care, even love, in an almost unconditional way for a mech that had always stayed close to his spark. Throughout the stellar cycles, Sunstreaker had come to know a faceless mech with an upbeat personality, even mischievous, and had serious anger issues.

His twin brother got angry all the time, but he couldn't figure out why.

The news were the same to him. Crimes rate in Kaon was high, so it shouldn't be a surprise to catch news about thieves and fights and stuff like that in the datapad. Kaon was the city of the poor and the oppressors. Mechs there worked twice as hard as mechs anywhere else on Cybertron, having not a moment to rest, even when they wanted to, knowing full-well there weren't, and never would be, any kinds of rewards or compliments or life-changing opportunities for a hard-working mech. Away from the slumps and low-life mechs, standing tall and looking down from the middle of the upper-class circle of the city was the  _Nuts 'n' Screws_ , one of the most popular brothels in Kaon. It was also Sunstreaker's workplace.

It was Sunstreaker's  _hell_.

A familiar name appeared on the datapad as Sunstreaker surfed through the reported news.

Sideswipe.

A well-known gladiator. Gladiators were highly respected and admired in Cybertron, especially if they fought well in the Arena. They earned their livings through Credits from the bets on them and from rewards of tournaments, so famous and well-liked gladiators with long winning streak usually had very good life. Many low status mechs considered becoming gladiators as a life-changing opportunity. But the reality wasn't that simple. Strong gladiators, like this  _Sideswipe_  here, received challenges every orn. And they always made sure to shatter any dreams for a better life of these mechs.

Gladiators irritated Sunstreaker.

He had come to serve a lot of mechs that were gladiators. They were arrogant, boastful, and usually treated their berthmates like  _frag toys_. But Sunstreaker strangely intrigued in this  _Sideswipe_. Truthfully, they had never met before in person, but whenever Sunstreaker surfed the news he always caught the name  _Sideswipe_  and his winning streak in the Kaon Arena. This mech was strong,  _fearless_  as the news had claimed so many times, and Sunstreaker had to admit he was good-looking too, had a nice, flashy red paint job and frame that somehow share some similarities with his.

Suddenly, his private comm link pinged. Sunstreaker didn't even look at the designation since he already knew who he was.  _Who else?_  Pleasure mechs weren't allow to have contacts from clients for the sake of their identities. So Sunstreaker only received comms from either the owner of this place or  **him**.  _That mech_  had tried to contact him ever since he left Iacon. Everytime he commed Sunstreaker, the yellow mech would always refuse to answer.

Just like what he just did. He vented, lost in thoughts as the comm stopped pinging, optics tried to focus on the datapad...

"Having a good read?"

The too-familiar voice practically made Sunstreaker jump a little. He turned to look at the mech with black and green paint job that had just entered his quarter. "Ever heard of knocking?" the yellow mech asked, voice filled with irritation.

"My place, I go wherever I want," the mech smirked, stepping close to Sunstreaker, digits caressing his cheeks, "My property, I touch whenever I want."

Almost immediately, Sunstreaker spatted the servo away from his faceplate, giving the invader an ugly glare, "I'm not your property, Lockdown."

"The contract said otherwise, Sunshine," Lockdown grinned, "Need me to remind you that it was  _you_  who signed the contract to work for me here?"

"You tricked me."

"And thank you for falling for it. Now I have a gorgeous and moody pleasure mech that actually bring me good Credits," the black and green mech moved closer to Sunstreaker, making him twitch.

"Move any closer and I swear to Primus that I'll cut off your spike and feed it to you," Sunstreaker growled and quickly moved backward, away from Lockdown, leaning on the wall behind him like a scare and furious predator, not even a slightest sense of humor in his voice.

Still looking at the angry mech, Lockdown laughed, but not moving any closer, "You see, Sunshine, this is why I love you so much. You're so feisty, so  _different_  from other pleasure mechs. I always enjoy breaking you. And I'll never get tired of reminding you of your place."

Lockdown then put his left servo behind his back, optics still fixed on the yellow mech. Realizing what he was going to do, Sunstreaker's spark sank in fear, his frame swung forward, intended to stop Lockdown. His processor was screaming, demanding the other mech to stop while shameful flashbacks kept rewinding. Before he could jump on Lockdown and give that fragger a good beating, or at least touch him, Sunstreaker fell on his side on the berth, curling into a fetus pose, trembling, writhing and venting hard. He bit his lips, digits curled into fists, trying to stop himself from giving up to temptation, to let out a groan, a moan or anything else. His spark throbbed in pain and unbearable shame. Charge ran through his frame like an electric shot. He was hot, almost overheated, every cables and sensor nodes inside him were screaming to be touched and used, his optics shone dimly, flickering.

"You are a turbofox and I hold your leash," Lockdown climb on the berth and sat next to Sunstreaker, "Remember of the  _codes_  that I put into your system, and remember that I hold the  _switch_ , and I can transform you into a needy, shameful whore you are supposed to be.  **Anytime**."

"F... frag... you...," Sunstreaker mumbled, venting too hard to even speak properly. He gasped when he felt his spike online, budging against the codpiece.  _No no no!_ Sunstreaker mentally screamed, a servo immediately moved down to hold the codpiece tightly shut despite the painfully hard spike demanding to be let loose. His valve was wet,  _too_  wet, lubricant pooling behind its covering panel, clenching on nothing.

"I come to tell you something, Sunshine. Your previous client said that you were a good frag, but...," Lockdown leaned down, a wandering servo gently touched Sunstreaker's valve cover, earning a gasp from the yellow mech, "...he also complaint about how  _unresponsive_  you were. And he wasn't the first to say so. So I was thinking..."

Lockdown circled his digits on the other mech's valve cover, whispering into Sunstreaker's audial, "...should I activate the switch every time you serve a client?"

The online spike, Lockdown's voice, his digits between Sunstreaker's legs. Everything was too much. The yellow mech felt his self-control was slipping away, along with his dignity and pride. He bit his lips harder, to hold back a moan as Lockdown's digits caressing his valve cover. Every bit of himself shattered when the black and green mech bit his helm fin and forcefully pressed him face down on the hard berth and lift his aft up in the air. Both of his cover uncontrollably opened, revealing a fully pressurized spike and a dripping valve asking to be filled.

Lockdown hummed in enjoyment, before easing a digit into the quivering valve, "If I hear one more complaint about you, then... well, I guess you already knew what is going to happen. Now, let's see if you are ready to serve the clients, you will have a very important mech in a couple of megacycles," another digit joined with the first one, scissoring the wet valve.

It was really horrible and shameful, beyond any words to describe.

* * *

_**Meanwhile, in Kaon Arena...** _

"Sideswipe! Focus!"

Ironhide yelled at the red mech from the observation area in backstage of the arena. The old mech had noticed how lagging and distracted Sideswipe had become after the match had gone through a couple of cycles. For Primus's sake, the challenger today wasn't even fully trained! And yet Sideswipe had let him land a hard punch right on his faceplate, even experienced gladiators had troubles getting close to the red mech, let along successfully hit him.

_Did this have anything to do with his mood-swing?_  the old mech thought.

Ironhide remembered Sideswipe told him about his mood-swing, and how it had gotten worse lately. He wished that he could do something to help the gladiator but honestly he had no ideas how, or even why Sideswipe was like that. He had tried asking around, doctors, friends, other gladiators, none could give him an answer on his student's condition. The crowd also went wild after seeing Sideswipe got hit, cheering on their favourite red gladiator. They had bet good Credits on him and it would put them in a sore spot if he lost to a newbie.

Sideswipe shook his helm, trying to clear the dizziness of the attack. His optics fixed on his challenger today, a much more smaller and younger mech than he was, having a dull grey paint job and scarred faceplate. The mech was surely inexperienced, but no doubt had potentials. But that didn't excuse for Sideswipe's distraction. The red mech had been so sure that this match wouldn't last long, and he still held on to that thinking when his energon blade sliced the opponent's metal mace in half.

That was until he felt charge shot through his frame. And his spark felt heavy with the feelings of sudden pain, shame and fear. How could he be horny and scared at the same time? In a match? With a new challenger he had never met before?

"Slag, slag, slag...," Sideswipe mumbled, trying to press down the awkward feelings. At the same time, the challenger attacked again, rushed toward him in an attempt to push him down and hopefully disarm him. Sideswipe let out a groan, trying to overwhelm the feelings of his spark by his own rage and determination. The gladiator immediately moved aside right at the moment the small challenger was still jumping on mid-air. Before the opponent could recover from his surprise, Sideswipe kicked his knee up at the abdomen plating of the mech, sending him flying backward and landed hard on the ground. Once again, the crowd went wild.

Sideswipe moved quickly, pressing down his energon blade at the throat of the challenger, "You know the rule of the Arena. You yield and I'll spare your spark. Be stubborn and I'll have to end you now. Although I must say you have potentials, lose today and win some other day maybe?" He said, giving the mech a sly grin.

The challenger looked up at him, groaning in pain and anger, "Fine," he said after the few kliks, "I yield."

The Arena showered in cheer and victory cries for the red gladiator, who just threw his blade away and left the fighting area, a fist held high and let himself bath in the adoration of the crowd. His rage had gone, replacing by pride and self-satisfaction of the sweet victory, yet the negative feelings of his spark were still there.

"Sideswipe, you did good! You scare me for a moment, you slagger!" Ironhide ran to him after the red mech had made it to the backstage. The smile on his faceplate vanished as he caught the distress in Sideswipe's blue optics. Before he could move closer to the mech, Sideswipe had run toward the washrack. "Later, 'Hide!" he yelled, voice cracking up, leaving a very confused and worried old mech.

_Slag slag slag!_

Sideswipe mentally screamed as he ran into the washrack, slamming the door shut behind him. The charge was still there, so was the pain, the shame. What the frag was wrong with him? "Fraaaag..." Sideswipe groaned in frustration, a servo pressed down his chestplate, right above his pulsing spark. He leaned against the wall, legs slightly spread as he opened his codpiece, revealing a fully pressurized spike. Still keeping a servo on his chassis, the other servo moved down to stroke the hard spike. He offlined his optics, resting his helm against the wall, venting hard while his servo continued to pump up and down on the spike. He tried to imagine a pair of spread legs and a nicely stretched, leaking valve in his processor. His digits curled at the tip of his member, gripping it hard before moving down to stroke its base, trying to picture it being buried into a hot mouth, wrapping around by an experienced glossa or a wet, clenching valve that kept sucking him in.

Finally after a while he got his sweet release as overload invaded his frame, he moaned softly as silvery pink transfluid escaped the tip of his spike, coating the shaky servo and dripping down onto the floor beneath. The gladiator just stood there a while, to let his frame cool down before onlining his optics, servo eased the spike back to its housing and shut the codpiece tight. Letting out a groan, Sideswipe stood up, washing his transfluid-covered servo before looking up to stare at his reflection in the mirror. He looked horrible, under-charged, optics shone dimly and faceplate covered in dust and dry energon from the last punch. His optics looked down at his chestplate, mumbling at the spark beneath, "You okay in there, bud?"

His spark sent a pulse of reassurance and regret, as if it was trying to apologize to him. Or it was simply Sideswipe was losing his CPU.

"Sides!" Ironhide's voice woke the red mech from his pondering, "Is everything okay?". The gladiator sighed, walking away from the mirror and left the washrack. The sight of the worried old mech was presented before his optics, "I'm fine, 'Hide," he said, trying to smile.

"No, you're not. You are lagging out there."

"Hey, I won, like I always do! No need to worry! I'm pretty sure this mood-swing will get better," Sideswipe laughed, gently hit Ironhide's shoulder.

The old mech rolled his optics and about to say something before Sideswipe spoke up again, "You know, that mech was pretty good. Hopefully he will find a suitable Battlemaster to train him."

Battlemasters were gladiators' trainers and managers, teaching them how to fight and managing their battle schedules and challenges. They were usually funded by nobles to train mechs to fight. And in return, the nobles would win Credits from the bets they made on strong gladiators. The Battlemaster selected the mechs themselves and only accepted those with potentials, usually without charge. Although in some places, like in Tarn, anyone who wished to be trained had to pay Credits for them. Ironhide had adopted Sideswipe when he was still a sparkling, even before he had become a Battlemaster. For that reason their relationship was not simply trainer-student but also being family. Many of Ironhide's students had left on their own after the old mech retired, but Sideswipe still stayed with him because according to the young gladiator, not only he was his adopted sparkling but also Ironhide would be bored out of his processor if he wasn't around to annoy him.

"Not me, you know I'm retired. You are my last student. I have had enough with you stubborn, hot-headed younglings," Ironhide grumbled.

"And mood-swing," Sideswipe added with a small laugh.

"Yeah, that too."

"C'mon, you still love me," Sideswipe groaned, pretending to act like a sparkling.

Ironhide laughed and shook his helm, "You know what you need? A good laid."

The smile on Sideswipe's face vanished almost immediately. Ironhide pull out a datapad from his subspace, checking something and not looking at his student, "I have already booked you an appointment at the  _Nuts 'n' Screws_. With their finest pleasure mech, no less. So get out, get your reward Credits, get some rest and clean that faceplate nice and clean and then get your aft there."

"Ironhide, I..."

"Don't," Ironhide raise a servo, stopping Sideswipe from saying anything, "I spent my Credits to help you get laid, so don't even think of refusing this. You look horrible, you act horrible, your moods are horrible. So get there and let this mech fix you," he said as he handed Sideswipe the datapad.

Sideswipe looked at Ironhide, then at the datapad. Was that really what he wanted? To unwind? There were reasons why he didn't like and didn't want to go to brothels and frag an unknown mech. It wasn't that he hadn't done that before, but he had been too young and arrogant back then. The last time he went to a brothel...

Well, let's just say things didn't end well.

"Hey, Sides," Sideswipe looked up when he heard Ironhide called his designation, "It's gonna be alright."

Sidewipe didn't reply, optics still looked at the datapad and the designation of the mech that was dubbed  _"the finest, most gorgeous mech in the Nuts 'n' Screws"_. Not that all of these things mattered to him, but to refuse Ironhide's offer seemed like bad thing to do.

_Yeah, maybe just this once._

"Alright, 'Hide. I'm off to see this mech."

* * *

_**A couple of megacycles later in the Nuts 'n' Screws...** _

It had been a long time since the last time Sunstreaker drew.

The sketchpad in one servo, the pen in other, Sunstreaker found peace whenever he dedicated himself for the act of art. There weren't many things to draw around here, though, so most of his sketches came from his memories. There was one time he had drawn his imagination of his twin brother, and Lockdown laughed and mocked him of being so vain that he had to draw himself. Sunstreaker didn't even bother explaining to him. The image of the street of Iacon played back and forth in his processor as he tried to do a nice landscape of it. Iacon, the city where he grew up, the city where he had the most wonderful life until he left it to chase after his twin's identity. How he wanted to return to Iacon. But he had told him - his caretaker, his only real friend in Iacon that he wouldn't return home until he found his brother. Sunstreaker wondered how that old mech was doing back in Iacon.

The unlocking sound from his quarter's door made him look up from the sketchpad, then he remembered. Lockdown had informed him that he would have to serve an important client, but he didn't let him know his designation. The first rule of any brothels on Cybertron always was protecting the clients' identities, so the pleasure mechs weren't allowed to know who they served. But Lockdown said that Sunstreaker would recognize the mech as soon as he saw him anyway.

Sunstreaker didn't care. He just wanted this to be over soon.

A couple of kliks later and the door opened. Presented before Sunstreaker's widened optics was a tall mech with black helm, flashy red paint job covered the strong frame, blue optics brightened his handsome face. The client seemed to be surprised as he was, just kept standing in one place, ignoring the shutting door behind his back. The two mechs locked optics as the awkward silence went on.

"Well... they weren't joking when they said  _'the most gorgeous mech'_  in this place," the red mech smiled, finally being the first to break the ice.

_Sideswipe._


	2. A Spark's Sanctuary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sideswipe and Sunstreaker finally met each other. As they spent time together, their relationship grew stronger but at the same time more fragile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Klik ~ a Cybertronian second
> 
> Cycle ~ a Cybertronian minute
> 
> Megacycle ~ a Cybertronian hour
> 
> Orn ~ a Cybertronain day
> 
> Quintun ~ a Cybertronian week
> 
> Diun ~ a Cybertronian month
> 
> Stellar cycle ~ a Cybertronian year

"Well... they weren't joking when they said  _'the most gorgeous mech'_  in this place," Sideswipe smiled, finally being the first to break the ice.

"You are Sideswipe," Sunstreaker said.

"You know about me? I'm honored!" the red mech stepped closer to the yellow one.

"It's hard to miss when your designation keeps appearing on the news," Sunstreaker shrugged, returning his attention to is sketchpad, feeling a bit uncomfortable when he felt Sideswipe approaching him. He was interested in the mech, but he didn't really want  _this_  to be how they first met.

Meanwhile, Sideswipe still kept his optics locked on the yellow mech. Being a gladiator, many desired and wished to serve, to bond with him even. Beautiful mechs weren't a rare sight for him, but this mech seemed different to him. Exotic helm fin, strong yet elegant platings in shiny yellow, cerulean optics, high cheekplates and plumb lips framed the beautiful faceplate, Sideswipe swore that he had never met a more stunning mech. But there was more of this mech than appearance, though. Whereas other pleasure mechs would try to joke around, try to seduce and get his attention, this mech didn't seem to even care about him.

Sideswipe laughed at the other's response, "And you are Sunstreaker. Can I call you Sunny?"

"No."

"Aww~"

Sideswipe winced and whined like a sparkling who had just being scolded. Still he kept his smile and sat down on the berth next to Sunstreaker. The yellow twitched a little but didn't turn to look at his client, servo continued to work on the sketchpad instead. He knew what would happen next, he was half-expecting Sideswipe to push him down on the berth and start fragging him, because that was what mechs came here do anyway. What made Sideswipe an exception?

"Soooo...," Sideswipe broke the silence again, "...this is the part where you and I... well..."

"You aren't a virgin, are you? So stop speaking like one," Sunstreaker growled, still not looking at his client, "And yes, this is the part where we frag."

Sideswipe grinned, "Aren't you a such a precious gift? You are pretty, grumpy, full of surprise and really know how to treat a client like he should go frag himself. Cute!"

"Ugh..." Sunstreaker rolled his optics, still drawing.

"Are you sure you are a pleasure mech? 'Cause you really don't act like one," the red mech rest an elbow on his lap, eyeing the yellow one.

"And what does a pleasure mech act like?"

"Eh... like a pleasure mech?"

Sunstreaker sighed and shook his helm.

"You should be seducing me by now," Sideswipe grinned.

"If you see me doing that you are probably wasted on high-grade," Sunstreaker grumbled, finishing the background for the landscape.

"Maybe I'll try to get myself wasted to have you seducing me?" the red mech smirked and replied, earning another disapprove growl from Sunstreaker. Truth to be told, if the yellow mech had started seducing him and asked to be fragged when he first came here then Sideswipe wouldn't be this interested in him. Sunstreaker was strange, even his frame screamed  _warrior_ , too strong-looking, too broad to be a pleasure mech. Not to mention his grumpiness, maybe this was why he was dubbed  _"the finest pleasure mech"_? Because of his play-hard-to-get attitudes?

"Sunny-"

"Sunstreaker," the yellow mech corrected him.

"-Sunstreaker, I'll let you know one thing," Sideswipe tilted his helm, "I don't intend to frag you."

That seemed to have caught Sunstreaker's attention, he stopped his sketch and turned to look at the red mech.

"I won't frag you or do anything to you," Sideswipe continued, "I had quite a day and I just want a nice recharge."

Sunstreaker stared at Sideswipe for a long while. Unfortunately, there were no telling what was on his processor. After a few cycles, the yellow mech just shrugged and turned back to his sketch, "Okay."

"Okay?" Sideswipe looked at the pleasure mech with a tint of surprise showed clear in his optics. His spark suddenly felt calm and relaxed yet he didn't know why.

"Okay."

"That's it? You don't ask  _why_?" Sideswipe grinned in amusement, resting his chin upon a servo.

" _Why_  should I care? There I ask it," Sunstreaker simply said, continuing his personal work, "You get your recharge and I get some time off for myself. You do that, and I don't care what the frag your reasons are."

Sideswipe was now staring at the yellow mech as if he couldn't believe what he had just heard. It was true that even before he came here, Sideswipe had intended to tell the pleasure mech that would be serving him that he wouldn't require their service and he just simply needed a good recharge. After an incident long ago in a brothel, Sideswipe no longer liked one night stands and even felt more uncomfortable with the idea of fragging a pleasure mech just to get some release for himself. He didn't tell this to Ironhide, though. The old mech had enough worries about his worsening mood-swing already.

Throughout the stellar cycles Ironhide had tried to introduce Sideswipe with both famous pleasure mechs and beautiful nobles to help the young gladiator unwind, and hopefully get a bondmate among the upper-class in the process. Usually Sideswipe wouldn't refuse Ironhide's offers so that he wouldn't upset the mech. Later in the closed quarter the young gladiator would tell his supposed-to-be berthmates that he didn't need them. The nobles were furious, as expected, while pleasure mechs either thanked him or stubbornly asked to at least do something to show their gratitude.

Sunstreaker, again, didn't give a frag about whoever he was serving. How someone so stubborn, so moody, grumpy and rude could choose to sign a contract to become a pleasure mech and nonetheless was described as "the finest"?

"No 'thank you'?" Sideswipe leaned closer to the drawing mech. Oh maybe he wouldn't be so bored as he had thought before coming here, after all. Sunstreaker's cold attitudes just urged the gladiator to tease him more, "I've just given you free time-off you know?"

"Why don't you just recharge like you told me and let me draw in peace?" Sunstreaker grumbled, shifting away from Sideswipe. A lopsided grin emerged on the gladiator's faceplate as he continued to observe the yellow mech and his work. A pleasure mech that knew how to draw and played hard to get. That city sketch was beautiful, actually. Sunstreaker looked strong, acted proud, and proved to have talents in art. Surely, there would be many works available for a mech like him. Primus, with that frame he could even be chosen by a Battlemaster to become a gladiator. So why a pleasure mech then? Sideswipe realized if he asked now there would be no way Sunstreaker would give him a proper answer. The question might even be too personal. Each mech had their own stories that were formed by the choices they made. Something that Sideswipe had to respect and wished to be respected in return.

He could recharge now, then said goodbye to the strange pleasure mech when the morning came and they wouldn't meet again. Or he could actually do something to savor this experience. Had he never felt this comfortable and relaxed. Did Sunstreaker's presence have anything to do with that? "Hey, Sunny..."

Sunstreaker immediately shot him a glare.

"...Sunstreaker," Sideswipe quickly fixed, "...let's play a game."

The yellow mech stopped drawing to look at his client. Usually he wouldn't be too happy to hear that sentence since "games" in this place meant "kinky stuff". Even normal interfacing was shameful enough for Sunstreaker. Sideswipe had told him that he wouldn't touch him. So what prompted him to ask the yellow mech to play a game? He wanted to refuse, to tell Sideswipe to frag off and recharge, to doubt him. Yet strangely, he looked at the red mech and just silently  _nodded_.

His spark felt playful and calmed.  _Weird_.

Sideswipe grinned, "Don't worry, this game is not too hard. Let's play  _'Questions & Answers'_."

"... what?"

"Won't you look at that? We're off to a good start! It's simple. I ask a question, you answer. Then you ask me a question and I do the same, like what we just did."

"... It sounds stupid and boring."

"It  _sounds_  stupid and boring, but it's  _not_! Because the rule is you will have to provide the answer in a question form!" Sideswipe playfully said, optics shone brightly.

"... that even sounds stupider," Sunstreaker remarked, but at least he didn't turn his optics away from the smiling red mech.

"Why don't we try to see for ourselves, hmm?" Sideswipe hummed in amusement, "I'll go first. What is your designation?"

"You  **know**  my designation, Sideswipe," Sunstreaker grunted.

Suddenly, Sideswipe clapped his servos at Sunstreaker's reply. It took the yellow mech a couple of kliks to realize he had fallen into the smirking gladiator's trap, "Slag," he mumbled, placed a servo on his forehelm.

"I won this round!" Sideswipe kept clapping his servos and only stopped when Sunstreaker shot a glare at him again, "Let's see. The loser of each round has to... hmm...," the red mech stroking his chin, optics looked up to the ceiling as if he was losing in thoughts. Sunstreaker only hoped that it-

"...has to kiss the winner..."

Sunstreaker glared at Sideswipe. Harsh.

"...on the cheeks," Sideswipe quickly finished his sentence.

Sunstreaker glared at Sideswipe. Again. But softer.

"Well, ain't that an improvement?" Sideswipe laughed, and moved his helm closer to Sunstreaker, eager to be kissed.

The yellow mech narrowed his optics. A _t least it wasn't a hard request. Some clients had asked him to do worse._ Sunstreaker's thoughts and a scrolling wave of calmness and trust through his spark had moved the yellow mech to lean closer to Sideswipe.  _Ah, frag it_. His lips gently touched the gladiator's handsome faceplate, placing a quick kiss upon his cheek. As soon as possible, Sunstreaker moved away, continuing with his sketch, not noticing how Sideswipe's mischievous grin was getting wider.

For a klik, Sideswipe had thought Sunstreaker would refuse to admit he had lost. But he was glad he had been wrong because the kiss was really worth it.  _Frag_ , now Sideswipe was determined to have the yellow mech to lose again, but first thing first...

"Okay, round two then. It's your turn to ask me, Sunn- Sunstreaker," Sideswipe quickly corrected his words as he received another glare from the other bot.

The yellow mech let out groan. His servo stopped working on the sketch, helm tilting aside to think of a question. Sunstreaker hated verbal games since he wasn't exactly good at communicating. Tell him to beat someone into scraps even sounded easier. Finally, he grunted, "Why are you even here if you're not looking for a frag?"

Sideswipe swung his helm back and forth, optics locked on the ceiling above before moving back to behold the beautiful mech, "Maybe because I'm just looking for someone like  **you**."

_..._

_Well,_ _**that** _ _was unexpected._

Sunstreaker stared at the gladiator, trying to understand what he meant by that. As his processor came to a conclusion that he believed being the most obvious and logical, Sunstreaker looked away, "There are more beautiful mechs than me..."

"It's not appearance that I'm talking about."

Sunstreaker didn't know how to reply. Instead, he let his optics wander to the sketchpad on his laps. Throughout his life, he had been praised too many times for how beautiful he was. While he was proud of his appearance, he had started to grow tired of the fact that mechs only interested in how he looked. He didn't blame them honestly; he even knew he was a  _fragger_. A rude, unstable, grumpy and arrogant  _fragger_ who only cared about himself. His beauty was the only positive thing about him.

And yet there was an annoying, stupid glitch who claimed he was looking for someone like  **him**.

"Oops!"

Sideswipe's sudden gasp pulled the yellow mech back to the present. He turned to look at the red mech, optics narrowed in questioning.

"It seems you have won this round!" Sideswipe rubbed his neck, a gesture showing how careless he had been when answering Sunstreaker's question.

_Oh, right, he didn't answer the question with another question._

Before Sunstreaker could react, Sideswipe had used both servos to cup his faceplate, leaning forward and pressed a kiss on his cheeks. The touch of Sideswipe's lips on his faceplate was long, a lot longer than Sunstreaker's kiss, it made his spark flutter. Yet strangely, not in  _fear_ , nor  _annoyance_ , but  _wants_.

He  **trusted**  Sideswipe. He trusted that he wouldn't hurt him like Lockdown and other bots did.

Where this trust came from, Sunstreaker did not know.

"You lost on purpose," murmured the yellow mech.

"Maybe I did," Sideswipe smiled, gazing into the other's confusing optics, "but it was worth it."

* * *

Sideswipe had said that he wouldn't frag Sunstreaker. His words were true. There weren't any  _fraggings_  during his stay in Sunstreaker's quarter. He had also claimed that he wouldn't do anything to the yellow mech. He lied. There were a lot of  _kissings_.

After his HUD screaming for recharge, Sideswipe had called off the game and promised Sunstreaker that they would continue on another day, much to the yellow mech's dismay. Somehow Sideswipe had turned the game into a  _"who got to kiss the other more"_  kind of games as he refused to play by the rules, kept losing on purpose to kiss the pretty bot's cheeks while trying to trick Sunstreaker to lose so that he had to kiss him back.

The questions they had asked each other weren't really hard to answer since both of them had avoided diving too much into personal information. Sunstreaker learned that Sideswipe was mentored by an old Battlemaster called Ironhide since he was still a sparkling; he was living on the upper-class circle in Kaon, as expected; had a pretty good life, also as expected; having a reputation as being an annoying, rebellious prankster, this had been proved; and confident of having a big spike and being an amazing berthmate, this remained to be seen.

Sideswipe also learned a bit about Sunstreaker in return. Although he had to say it was hard to get a straight answer from the yellow mech. Sunstreaker showed his discomfort clearly everytime he met a hard question that might dwell too much into his personal life, and Sideswipe also didn't feel good if he pressed on the matter. The yellow mech told Sideswipe that he originally came from Iacon; his caretaker was an old doctor; he had been drawing since he was very young; and he hated mechs with big spikes.  _Ouch._

Sideswipe laid back onto the berth and offlined his optics almost immediately after that. Sunstreaker noticed how the red mech didn't lie in the middle of the berth, as if he was silently asking him to recharge next to him. Blue optics fixed on the gladiator, on the tired faceplate, trying to understand the mech. Sunstreaker had never felt this relaxed toward another mech. Maybe because Sideswipe hadn't forced him to do anything, well, actually he  **had**  but in a very persuasive way. Whenever Sunstreaker was serving a mech, he always felt shameful, angry and uncomfortable, leading to his rebellious attempts to mock Lockdown and maybe some of the clients too, acting like a rude, egoistical mech that treated them like slag. Everytime he intended to fight back or escape, Lockdown again activated that fragging  **switch** and turned him into a whimsy useless mess. Most of the clients found him to be interesting, others got mad at him and usually it ended badly. He lost count how many times they hurt him, how many times had they forced their spikes into him without preparation, how many times had they beat him and violated his valve with random objects that sent him to the hospital quite often. Although he hated to admit but Lockdown did, in some extend,  **care**  about his well-being and always intervened to stop things from going bad to worse, probably due to the fact that Sunstreaker was still useful to him. As time went by, Sunstreaker had realized he just made matter worse and his hope of getting out of this place slowly shattered. He had come to accept his misfortune, obediently laid back and let mechs use him in whatever way they wanted.

But with Sideswipe, his spark was at peace. It found a strange harmony as if it had reunited with a long lost bondmate. For the first time a seemingly lost thought popped inside his CPU,  _it would be alright to interface with a mech like Sideswipe and he might even enjoy it._

Now with Sideswipe was silently enjoying his recharge and nobody disturbing him, Sunstreaker could spend some times to think about his brother, to try and feel him through the bond. A gentle smile appeared on his face as he noticed how content his brother currently was. There weren't any anger or negative emotions, only calmness and bliss. His brother was probably living a good life.

He gave the gladiator one last look before standing up, putting the unfinished drawing on a nearby table and moved to the chair placing next to the window. Resting his elbow on the edge of the closed window, his optics fixed on the walking mechs below, counting the numbers, commenting how ugly their paint job were in his processor, and wondering if one day he would see his brother mixed in those walkers. Losing in thoughts and dreams, Sunstreaker's optics slowly offlined, drifting into recharge; helm leaning against the glass surface of the window.

In the middle of the dark quarter, a pair of blue optics onlined and shone dimly, gazing at the motionless yellow mech sitting on the chair. The gladiator turned to lay on his side, facing Sunstreaker. He counted the number of kliks and cycles passing by in his processor, to making sure the pleasure mech was actually deep in recharge.

Sideswipe would never be the one to recharge first if he wasn't alone in a closed space.  _He had to make sure, he had to..._

The red mech curled, servo pressed down on his chestplate, engulfing the deep dark memories and emotions that were following behind. He sighed and looked at the recharging mech on the chair. He should have nothing to worry. He had never... felt this good, this comfortable.

Sunstreaker made him feel good.

He tossed and turned on the berth for a while, unable to recharge, optics shone dimly, fixing on the ceiling above before moving back to the yellow mech on the chair. He missed it, the comfortable feeling, the serenity that had embraced him in the last couples of megacycles. The silence made him feel uneasy and his spark screamed for comfort. The red mech sat up and left the berth, walking toward Sunstreaker. He leaned closer to the yellow mech, looking at the peaceful faceplate and waved a servo in front of him.

"Sunny? Sunshine? Sunbeam ~ ?"

Sideswipe called into Sunstreaker's audial and receiving no responses.  _He was knocked out cold, wasn't he?_  Sideswipe smiled at the thought. He moved closer, wrapping an arm around Sunstreaker's shoulder, the other moved under his knees. With a swift move, Sideswipe lift the mech up in his arms, letting his helm resting against the red chassis. His spark again pulsed in serenity, in longing and bliss of being reunited to the comfort it had missed.  _Yes, this was what it wanted. What Sideswipe wanted_. He laid Sunstreaker gently onto the berth and then lied down next to him. Sideswipe looked at the yellow mech, wondering why this mech had the ability to calm his spark like no one else could. Maybe he didn't care after all.

With the presence of Sunstreaker nearby, Sideswipe found himself drifting into a peaceful recharge.

Yes, Sunstreaker made him feel good.

* * *

"I believe you had a good time here?"

Lockdown smiled at Sideswipe when he greeted the gladiator. The morning came quickly, much to Sideswipe's dismay. He had left while Sunstreaker was still recharging, thinking that it would be better that way. He had a sudden feeling that the yellow mech would be pissed to find out he had been moved to the berth. But of course, Sideswipe did leave him a note, just in case...

"Yes, the best, thank you," Sideswipe politely smiled and replied the black and green mech. He wasn't lying when he said "the best".

"Of course, he was our finest pleasure mech," Lockdown said, "Although it was a  **shame**  someone didn't explore his full capacity."

 _Oh?_  Sideswipe looked at the mech, grinning lopsided and optics shining in intrigue. Catching the optics and the hidden meaning behind them, Lockdown smiled back at the red mech, said, "There are a lot of mechs who desire our dear Sunshine, to keep him as a...  _close company_. And yet you just... talked."

"Maybe I want a  **different**  kind of company," Sideswipe crossed his arms, staring at Lockdown. The black and green mech slightly nodded and replied, "Of course. My apologies. You paid the Credits, you get what you wanted. Please don't blame me for... well, being  **worried**  for my employees."

The gladiator only let out a small mocking laugh in return. He turned his back on Lockdown and started walking out of the brothel. Half-way through the door, he looked over his shoulder, at the black and green mech, "I guess I have to apologize in advance since this won't be the last time I worry you. Because I'm thinking of coming back to have some chats with Sunny again. Can't blame me, right? He's your  **finest**  after all."

And with that, he left the brothel, feeling a pair of optics on his back as he walked through the door.

* * *

Ironhide had been teasing Sideswipe ever since he left the  _Nuts 'n' Screws_  with a too-happy smile. The old mech had assumed that the gladiator had had a wonderful experience, being unaware of the truth that the two mechs hadn't done anything else besides  **talking**  with each other. Sideswipe didn't explain, just grinned and left it to the old mech's imagination. He had never thought that he would develop any kind of serious relationship with the pleasure mech, so he didn't really think it mattered whether he explained to Ironhide or not.

Nonetheless, Sideswipe still found himself back to the brothel, back to the grumpy and pretty pleasure mech when the next night had fallen down. He felt like a sparkling who had just found a new playground. There weren't any places in kaon that interested Sideswipe. Beside hanging out or fighting at the Arena, his favourite places didn't expand more than five. But maybe he could add Sunstreaker's quarter as number six.

An orn had passed and Sideswipe had made sure he booked an appointment with Sunstreaker before he came to see him. As he just passed through the door, he saw Lockdown walking in the opposite direction. He grinned at the mech, still remembered their last encounter, "Going somewhere?"

"Some mechs have places to be," replied Lockdown as he walked pass the red mech. Sideswipe could hear he mumbled something that sound like  _'not all have the pleasure to live like a Prime'_  or something more humiliating than that.

Sideswipe just shrugged.  _Why should he care, anyway?_

Instead, he found his way to the familiar quarter and soon found a pissed off yellow mech sitting on the berth while crossing his arms across his chassis, optics staring at the gladiator not in the most friendly way. Before Sideswipe could say anything, Sunstreaker had stood up, walked towards the red mech and shoved a note into his palm, "What is this?"

"Erm...," Sideswipe couldn't help but grinned, looking at the piece of metal, or 'note' to Cybertronians, that he had left to Sunstreaker on their first met, "...I believe this is something mechs call a  _'note'_."

"And why the frag did I find it on my aft?"

"Because that's the most catching part on your frame," Sideswipe laughed, then immediately stopped as Sunstreaker shot him a murderous glare.

On their first met, Sunstreaker had been pissed to find out he had been moved to the berth when the morning came. He had even become more annoyed quite shortly after that when he found Sideswipe's note sticking on his aft. Only had he read the note that he calmed down. A bit. _'You look adorable when you are recharging. Thanks for playing with me. Don't worry, I didn't do anything to you. Nice aft, by the way.'_

So although he was being grumpy, as usual, Sunstreaker was thankful for the note and Sideswipe's trustworthiness. "Why do you come back?" Sunstreaker turned his back on the gladiator, walking towards the berth and sat down.

"We still haven't finished our game," Sideswipe smiled, followed Sunstreaker and sat down on the berth next to him, "Or do you want to do something more exciting tonight?"

Sunstreaker tensed at the words, but Sideswipe quickly said, "Wanna go out of here? Hit a bar?"

The yellow mech gave Sideswipe a look. Getting out of this place had always been Sunstreaker's wish, of course he wanted to, "I'm not allowed to leave without Lockdown's permissions. He'll know if I leave," because Sunstreaker was pretty sure that Lockdown had a fragging camera somewhere in his quarter but he hadn't found it yet. If that fragger saw Sunstreaker leaving his quarter he would just activate that switch to stop him.

"Oh, he won't. He's just left. We just go out for a couple of megacycles then we'll back here before he comes back," Sideswipe smiled, words filled with temptation and optics shone in excitement.

Sunstreaker groaned. Helm buried in servos as thoughts battling inside his processor. Should he leave? Should he stay? When would Lockdown be back? Should he even believe Sideswipe? Hundreds of wonders and arguments ran inside his CPU until Sunstreaker sat up, finally made up his mind.

He nodded.

* * *

"Hello, Sides. And who is this pretty bot?"

The young bartender with white and blue paint job smirked as he saw Sideswipe entered his bar with a beautiful mech walking behind. Sunstreaker looked around the crowded bar, and suddenly felt uncomfortable as he sensed numerous optics on him. To them, he was a total stranger. Sideswipe gripped his servo and pulled him towards the bartender, "Just a new friend of mine," he smiled, "You know my order. Give my friend the same."

"Friend? And you guys are same-frame, too. Good choice," the bartender teased.

Sideswipe just grinned back as he told Sunstreaker to sit down next to him. The red mech said that this bar had always been his and Ironhide's favourite. They served good drinks, the bartender had always had good stories to tell, had his ways with mechs, too, and the music was also pretty good, Sideswipe noted as he pointed towards the music-mixing mech on the stage. This place is called  _The Illusionist_. And they usually called the bartender by the nickname  _Dino_ , no mech had ever known his real designation, though.

"Ever got wasted?" Sideswipe grinned at Sunstreaker as he received his drink from the bartender.

"Not that idiot," the yellow mech grunted, still feeling uneasy as he knew pretty much half of the bar was looking at him and Sideswipe.

As if sensing the mech's discomfort, Sideswipe put a servo on his shoulder, "It's okay. Most of the mechs here know each other so new faceplates always attract their attention," especially a gorgeous faceplate, "It'll pass."

"Or it won't," Sunstreaker growled as he tilted his helm towards a mech that was approaching them.

Sideswipe followed his looks and sighed. He left his bar-stool to stand in front of the mech, stopping him from walking any closer. The mech looked at Sideswipe and said, "C'mon, Sides."

"No, he's not available," Sideswipe smiled, but said firmly.

"At least let me buy him a drink, alright?"

"Yeah, I'm okay with that," Sunstreaker suddenly spoke up. Sideswipe frowned, turned to look at the yellow mech then back at the mech, "No."

"Hey, he's okay with that!"

"So how about a brawl to settle the score like good old times?" Sideswipe smirked.

"You really know me well, Sides," the mech laughed, and quickly swung a punch towards the red bot's faceplate. Sideswipe, having reasons to be called one of the best gladiators in Kaon, dodged the attack with ease and hit the back of the mech's helm, sending him into unconsciousness. But he wasn't the only one the red mech had to fight that night, as his friends were all standing up now and joining in the fight with the young gladiator. The brawl evolved quickly after that, involving more and more mechs, mostly because they were bored and bar fights had been a kind of tradition in this kind of bars. With mechs punching, kicking, throwing each other while the music mixer kept playing his happiest songs.

"Not gonna join?" the bartender looked at Sunstreaker, who had stood up, an elbow resting on the bar and his back leaning against it. A high-grade glass in a servo, Sunstreaker relaxed and enjoyed the fighting scene in front of him.

"No. Doesn't worth it. I don't want to ruin my paint job for nothing."

The bartender laughed, "First orn at my bar and you've already caused a brawl. Good job. Sideswipe **really**  knows how to choose friends. But I'll say you're lucky, bar fights always make drinks taste better."

Sunstreaker's lips slightly curved as he spotted Sideswipe in the crowd of fighting mechs. The red mech was probably enjoying himself, knocking off mechs that kept rushing towards him while keeping a big, strangely charming grin upon his handsome faceplate. Although Sunstreaker could see that none of the mechs here aimed to hit Sideswipe on his chassis. Usually, they targeted his feet, his faceplate and back.  _Why, though?_  Suddenly, Sideswipe turned to look at the yellow mech and smiled, waving a servo in the air as if trying to get his attention. But that didn't last long as Sideswipe was soon tackled down by another mech and he resumed to his brawl with too much excitement. Sunstreaker let out a small laugh as he took a sip from the glass of high-grade.

"You're right. It  **does**  taste better."

* * *

_**About two diuns later...** _

Sideswipe tried to come back to the  _Nuts 'n' Screws_  every orn.

There were orns he couldn't see Sunstreaker because the grumpy pleasure mech had to serve someone else. But still Sideswipe did his best to check in every orn, and met Sunstreaker whenever possible. It had gone on for about one or two diuns, and Sideswipe found himself getting more and more intrigued in the moody pleasure mech each orn to pass.

Lockdown didn't seem too happy to see Sideswipe again. The gladiator didn't know if the mech found out that he had pulled Sunstreaker out of his brothel and right to  _The Illusionist_. They had barely made it back to the brothel couple of cycles before Lockdown had returned. It was just that one time, though.

After their first met, his mood-swing had been getting better. He also fought better, too, especially on the orns that he had appointments with Sunstreaker. Because when they met again, he would tell Sunstreaker of his battles, of the opponents, of the pranks he had played on other mechs while making harmless jokes on Ironhide and even Lockdown. And Sunstreaker had actually smiled at his jokes about the black and green mech.

Beautiful smiles for a beautiful mech.

Sideswipe never had a real friend. He could consider Ironhide as a friend but truthfully, Ironhide was his caretaker and mentor, there were things they weren't exactly on the same wavelength. But Sunstreaker was different. He felt at peace whenever he spent time with the yellow mech, and becoming uneasy and impatient every time they were separated. Was this what it meant to have a friend?

 _Or did he desire something_ _**else** _ _from Sunstreaker?_

Sunstreaker, in return, also welcomed Sideswipe's stay. Although he didn't show it, he actually enjoyed his appointments with the red mech. Sideswipe didn't frag him, didn't force him to do anything he didn't want. Most importantly, Sideswipe didn't hurt him, all Sideswipe did was talking to him, teasing him, playing verbal games with him, trying to make him smile and recharging next to him. He even took Sunstreaker out of this place once. Sideswipe cherished Sunstreaker for the mech he really was, not for his looks. His spark calmed whenever it felt the red mech's presence. The Sunstreaker stellar cycles ago would never believe the present Sunstreaker actually enjoyed recharging next to another mech.

While he was still pissed everytime he recalled the note on their first met, mostly because Sideswipe had stuck it on his aft, Sunstreaker's spark relaxed into the red mech's presence and his witty charisma. Sometimes he would wondered about his relationship with the gladiator, and if this could be accounted as a start of a friendship?

 _Or did he desire something_ _**else** _ _from Sideswipe?_

Both mechs welcomed each other, yet each held deep secrets that built an invisible wall between them, keeping them far away while still being close. Sunstreaker noticed how Sideswipe never explained why he didn't like brothels and didn't interested in interfacing although he flirted around a lot, and Sideswipe would never find out the reasons why Sunstreaker left Iacon and became a pleasure mech here.

However, the invisible wall was crumpling; threatened to collapse as two mechs had become more and more hooking into each other each orn. It was just a matter of time...

"Hey, Sunstreaker, teach me how to draw," Sideswipe looked up to the yellow mech from the berth, wiggled around like a sparkling asking for treats. If Lockdown didn't have a strict policy on how pleasure mechs weren't allow to leave their workplace without permissions for safety reasons, Sideswipe would have dragged Sunstreaker outside more often to have some fun. Maybe go to  _The Illusionist_  again.

"Why?" Sunstreaker asked, finishing his sketch of Kaon.

"So that I can draw you," the red mech tilted his helm, playfully answered.

The yellow mech didn't reply. He simply stared at his sketch, wandering thoughts invading his processor while his spark suddenly pulsed uncomfortably. Sideswipe, as if noticed how Sunstreaker's mood changed, sat up on the berth to scoot next to the yellow mech, "Did I say something wrong?" They had been getting along so well that Sideswipe no longer saw Sunstreaker as a service mech but more like someone he should care about.

"Why, Sideswipe? I know... you are interested in me," Sunstreaker murmured, not looking back at the red mech, "What is your intention with me?  **What do you want**?" he growled at the last question, turning to face Sideswipe with an angry and hurt expression.

Sideswipe suddenly felt a sharp pain seeped into his spark. Immediately, he moved forward, holding Sunstreaker's agonizing gaze, "Sunstreaker, I won't hurt you. I swear to Primus that I won't. I just..."

He stopped, for the first time Sunstreaker witnessed how a charismatic mech like Sideswipe struggled for words.

"I just want to be your  **friend**."

Finally, Sideswipe finished, optics locked on Sunstreaker's faceplate. The yellow mech had always been hard to read, but today Sideswipe could see the surprise showed clear in the cerulean optics. Surprise. And  _doubt_. Did Sunstreaker doubt his words? His plea for a friendship? The sun-colored mech narrowed his optics, turning away from Sideswipe's piercing gaze, simply said, "Go to recharge, Sideswipe."

"Sunstreaker!" Sideswipe raised his voice, trying to prove his point, "I-I'm not lying. I've never felt this good toward any mech, even Ironhide. I don't want our relationship to be just...  **this**! I don't want to stop meeting you, Sunstreaker. I want us to be friends."

Sunstreaker sighed heavily, "You sound like  **him**..."

Sideswipe slightly opened his mouth, optics blinking in confusion, not knowing who Sunstreaker meant. As he was about to ask, his spark again pulsed in pain and regret. It was his mood-swing,  _again_. Really not the moment he wanted it to happen, Sideswipe needed to talk to Sunstreaker now but first, he had to push away these feelings from his spark. Yet all he could do was offlining his optics, trying to breath in and out softly, locking his processor off from everything around him, trying to ease the negative emotions. His silence didn't go unnoticed as Sunstreaker had turned to look at him, unreadable optics now dyed in worries and questions, "Sideswipe?". He moved closer to the gladiator, seeing how the red mech was inhaling softly, optics offlined and servos clenching into fists didn't help lifting some of the worries of the yellow mech.

"Sideswipe?" he called again, servos reach out to the red mech this time. Throughout their times together, Sideswipe had touched him, usually a pat on the shoulder, a gentle kiss on the cheeks as they were playing games, some harmless touches when they were recharging together, but Sunstreaker had never actively touched Sideswipe without his say-so. This was the first time he tried to make the move, to have his confusion erased. He wondered if he had said something wrong and upset the gladiator. There were parts of him wishing to be Sideswipe's friend, too, to share his burden and to console the mech like friends would do, but he also didn't want to be hurt again.  **Once**  is enough. His spark carried too many wounds from those who he used to call  **friends**. He gently touched Sideswipe's neck while the other servo stopped at his chestplate, right above the pulsing spark.

Sideswipe optics snapped open immediately.

Suddenly, Sunstreaker yelped in pain as Sideswipe had grabbed his both of servos, snatching them away from his neck and chassis. Before he could react or at least yell at the gladiator, Sideswipe had him pinned on the berth, servos held his wrists too tight too painfully.  _Sideswipe said he wouldn't hurt him_. Sunstreaker's optics widened at the mech above him.  _Sideswipe promised he wouldn't hurt him_. Sunstreaker growled, in pain and sudden rage as the feeling of betrayed exploded inside him.

 _Sideswipe_ _**lied** _ _._

Sunstreaker lift up his helm in all of sudden, pouring all of his anger into the force as he smashed his helm against the red mech's. Sideswipe groaned in pain, titling his helm backward as the result of Sunstreaker's rage. Right after that, a horrible pain hit his side as Sunstreaker had used his knee to kick the gladiator off him, and then quickly shoved him off the berth.

"Get away from me!" Sunstreaker bare his denta, yelling at the groaning mech on the floor.

Sideswipe, as if had just awaken from a deep slumber, finally realized what he had done as the pain inside his spark increased, almost unbearable. Fury stirring inside his spark, mixing with the pain of feeling betrayed. Normally, he would apologize Sunstreaker, for hurting him, for suddenly acting like that. But rage had consumed him, combining with his deep dark fear of being touched in places that so  **near**  of his spark.  _Sideswipe couldn't let any mech that near to his spark, he couldn't..._

"Don't. Touch. Me!" Sideswipe suddenly growled, gentle and playful optics suddenly turned so deadly that actually made Sunstreaker shocked, "Don't you dare touch me  **there**! Just because you are a  _frag bot_  doesn't mean you are allowed to touch me  **there**!"

Sunstreaker widened his optics, servos curled into fists and was ready any moment to jump on the red mech to beat him into scraps.  _Did Sideswipe just call him a frag bot_?

"You touch me again and I swear that I'll rip off your arms! And don't give me  **that**  look! You think you're the victim here? Not everything is about you!" Sideswipe pointed a finger toward the yellow mech. He was furious, lashing out and unintentionally hurting everyone around him, just like everytime someone touched him on the chassis, so close to his  **spark.** Even in a bar fight, none would dare to target his chassis because they all knew too well Sideswipe would lose self-control and hurt them for real. And any opponents in the Arena who attacked his chassis were always destined to be sent to the hospital after the match ended. Being touched so near to his  **spark**  made him feel so vulnerable. It made the unwanted memories replay in his processor over and over again.

_It made him scared._

Sunstreaker felt through the twins bond a horrible anger and a deep sharp pain, mixing with unexplained fear. His brother was hurt, was angry and scared, and he had to deal with his own rage and pain as the same time as being showered by his client's insults and threats, the client who had just promised him cycles ago that he wouldn't hurt him, that he wanted to be his friend, the client that had spent diuns just to playing with and getting close to him, the client that he actually  **cared**  about. Where was the mischievous, flirty Sideswipe that had tricked him to kiss his cheeks? Where was the thoughtful, gentle mech that had calmed his spark whenever they recharged together on the same berth? Were all of those time they had spent together a lie? Was the Sideswipe that he had come to care about, to even want to try and be friends, a  **lie** , too?

Sunstreaker was torn between calming his distress brother down, dealing with his own emotions and beating Sideswipe into scraps. In the end, he just sat there, silently on the berth. He tried to calm himself down; to remind himself that this wasn't the first time he had been insulted by another mech, but again, he had never felt this hurt, this betrayed either. Sunstreaker sent a wave of comfort through the twins bond to his brother, to hopefully be able to wrap his spark in affection and warmth. And Sideswipe, maybe this would be the last time they met, he had no desire to meet the mech again after this.

At the same time, Sideswipe's rage and fear was slowly pushed away as his spark calmed down, sending a warmth feeling into his system. He vented heavily, optics soften as he looked at the silent mech sitting on the berth. Realization hit him as he noticed the hurtful glare Sunstreaker was giving him.

He had called Sunstreaker a  _frag bot_ , he had insulted him, threaten him, hurting him. The mech he had wanted to get closer the most, the mech he had come to care as a friend.

"Sunstreaker...," he walked toward the called mech, voice soften and optics filled with regret, "...I'm sorry."

" **Don't** ," Sunstreaker growled, shifting away from the red mech, "You don't have to say anything. Now I know who you truly are."

"Please, Sunstreaker, I...," Sideswipe sighed, "...I can't control myself..."

Sunstreaker looked away, "Don't make this harder for both of us. You and I can't be friends and you can stop coming here after tomorrow."

Sideswipe stood there like a statue. What he did... he knew he couldn't be forgiven easily. Sunstreaker had trusted him not to hurt him, and he had defiled that trust.

"I'm... sorry," Sideswipe looked down to the floor, feeling as if he was falling into an abyss. Immediately after that, Sideswipe moved to the door and left the quarter that had slowly become his spark's sanctuary, away from the mech that he had clung onto throughout the orns as an emotional support.

Alone in the small quarter, Sunstreaker laid down onto the berth, inhaling softly, not even cared how both of his and his brother's sparks were now in pain. He wanted to believe that his brother would help him feel better through the bond.

Yet in the end, he laid awake with pain still stubbornly resided in his spark until the morning came.


	3. In Trial

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new wave of crime was about to roll into Kaon. Meanwhile, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker got a little help in getting back together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Klik ~ a Cybertronian second
> 
> Cycle ~ a Cybertronian minute
> 
> Megacycle ~ a Cybertronian hour
> 
> Orn ~ a Cybertronain day
> 
> Quintun ~ a Cybertronian week
> 
> Diun ~ a Cybertronian month
> 
> Stellar cycle ~ a Cybertronian year

_**Three orns later, at The Illusionist...** _

"There are traces of  **Opidium**  in them?"

The white mech stroke his chin, optics still locked onto the report datapad in his servos. Standing next to him was another white and orange mech with same color mask and yellow visor; he looked around the messy bar - the result of a brawl that had happened a couple of megacycles ago. Bar fights happened often but none had ever been this bad. The two mechs that had started the fight had damaged the properties and sent mechs into hospitals. "Explain the mess." He shrugged at his partner's words and continued, "Prowl, someone is importing Opidium into Kaon."

"Exactly. And we need to know who that  _'someone'_  is, Chromedome," Prowl nodded, a servo slid up and down on the datapad, "It looks like we're going to have a little  _chat_  with our trouble makers after they come to. Did Fixit tell us the estimated time when they wake up? And have you found out who they were?"

"Fixit said in about two more megacycles. These guys are constructicons, middle-class workers, designations are Scrapper and Hook," Chromedome replied, yellow visor turned to the white mech.

"We'll return to the HQ for the time being, then," Prowl nodded, putting the report datapad back into his subspace, "What about Bluestreak?"

Chromedome temporary lift his attention off Prowl, turning to look at another mech with grey paint job and red chevron. The young mech was, somehow,  **chatting**  with the owner and bartender of the  _Illusionist_ , a rather young medium-sized mech with blue and white paint job and golden optics, when he was supposed to ask and  **listen**  to know what happened when the fight broke out, "I'm thinking about assigning him a different task that he won't need to use his  **mouth**."

The white mech sighed, "He's going to maintain the traffic next, then. Go help him before he spills the designations of all Enforcers in Kaon, Chromedome". Chromedome nodded, sightly chuckled and slowly turned around, walking toward the talkative young mech and the bartender whose faceplate was screaming  _'ain't I supposed to be the one to talk'_.

Prowl observed his partner and trainee, then turned his optics toward the bartender, wondering if he had anything to do with the brawl, or the Opidium found in the frames of the two mechs that had started the fight. He scratched his chin, then turned away when he thought it would be better to wait for Chromedome's report on the bartender. He left the bar, passing the holo police tape at the door, intended to wait for the two fellow Enforcers outside. His blue optics stopped at the two red mechs walking toward him. One larger while the other was younger. The old mech raised a servo, waving at Prowl, earning a sigh from him, "How are you doin', Prowl? What's with the holo tapes at the door?"

"It means no high-grade for you guys. And hello to you, too, Ironhide," Prowl crossed him arms, looking at the old mech with not much expressions on his faceplate.

"Hey, no greetings for me, Prowl?" the younger red mech smiled and stood next to Ironhide.

Prowl sighed, "Hello, Sideswipe."

"Sideswipe?!"

The shrieking voice literally made Prowl and the two red mechs jump. The white Enforcer turned around as Ironhide and Sideswipe looked pass his shoulder to see a too happy young mech. "Bluestreak..." Prowl sighed, shaking his helm. The mech called Bluestreak was now storming toward Sideswipe, causing the red mech to cautiously take one step backward.

"Oh Primus, I'm a big fan of you! I have watched all of your matches, I have read the news and followed every stories! Although it's getting hard lately because Prowl said you can be a bad influence and he gave me tasks, do you believe he actually told me to guard the Check-in station at Kaon's entrance  **alone**  just to shut me up?  **Nobody**  goes to Kaon and he fragging  **knows**  that! Anyway, I really really like you! You are like the most awesome gladiator and I- ack!"

Before the rambling mech could continue, Chromedome had grabbed his doorwings and pulled him away from the surprised and amused gladiator, "Please don't mind him. Bluestreak can be rather... enthusiastic when it comes to you, Sideswipe."

"No, I don't, it's ok," Sideswipe raised his servos, a gesture saying he was telling the truth. It wasn't the first time he met a fan, and Bluestreak was rather cute, too, so he was fine with that. He did have a soft spot for cute mechs, didn't he? His processor suddenly wandered off to another mech, a yellow, lonely and beautiful mech...

His spark throbbed.

"Why didn't you and Prowl tell me you guys know Sideswipe?" Bluestreak groaned.

"To give you something to rant about and annoy half of the Kaon Enforcers? You do know someone might actually come up with a petition to permanently shut down your vocalizer for good?" Chromedome shook his helm, gently let go of the younger mech's doorwings, who was now turning to look at his senior Enforcer with shocked optics and opened mouth. "It was a joke," the orange mech quickly said.

"Ironhide used to be an Enforcer before he became a Battlemaster," Prowl said, "And we know Sideswipe from..." the white mech stopped to look at the red mech, who was now slowly shaking his helm, "...from Ironhide."

Sideswipe smiled, optics shone in gratitude for the white mech. He wasn't exactly a private mech but that didn't mean he wanted to share his personal information for any mech. Both Ironhide and Chromedome exchanged quick looks at each other and towards both Prowl and Sideswipe. Then silently, they both gave Bluestreak confirmation nods.

"Why did you quit, Ironhide?" Bluestreak now turned his attention to the old mech.

"He didn't. He was kicked out," Sideswipe quickly said before Ironhide could reply. The Battlemaster glared at his student and hit him hard on the shoulder.

"Why?" ever the naive curious young mech, Bluestreak asked again.

"Anger management issues," this time, it was Prowl who answered. He spoke in a flat tone and an inexpressive faceplate like he usually did.

"Yeah, go figure," Sideswipe commented, before groaning again as Ironhide smacked his helm.

As Sideswipe and Ironhide was bickering at each other and Bluestreak was asking a bunch of questions for the two mechs, Prowl took Chromedome's arm and pulled him back into the bar, "How is he?" he asked, helm discreetly tilted towards the young bartender, standing at the corner with his back facing the Enforcers, a servo on his audial, he was probably in a comm.

"He didn't flinch when I told him we would have to search his bar. He's confident,  **too**  confident that makes me twitch. Don't worry, I wasn't even mention the word Opidium to him. He wouldn't know what we're looking for."

"This place probably doesn't have Opidium. Or they might have been moved away. Nonetheless, we still need to search the bar. There might be traces of Opidium left behind."

"Prowl, do you think the mech behind this Opidium smuggling... is an upper-class mech in Kaon?"

"Opidium doesn't come from Cybertron, Chromedome. And its price for the small amount of this mineral that found inside our trouble makers... let's just say that we would have to work until the end of the universe and we still wouldn't be able pay for it. So  **yes** , I believe an upper-class mech is behind this  **illegal**  mineral smuggling."

Chromedome silently looked at his partner. Both of them knew too well that upper-class mechs in this city were almost untouchable, a crime such as this would even be impossible to track down the culprit. Yet both of them also acknowledged each other's irritating stubbornness and determination, even Bluestreak noticed, and they wouldn't back down just because a mech in the higher-up was involved in such illegal activity.

* * *

Sideswipe had been lagging again.

Ironhide observed the red mech who was driving in front of him, recalling his last match with another new challenger. Sideswipe won, as usual, but Ironhide had noticed the young gladiator's exhausted faceplate and his miss attacks had increased over the past three orns, as if he had misplaced his CPU somewhere else outside of the Arena. Having known the mech since Sideswipe was just a little sparkling, Ironhide could tell whenever he was in troubles. The Battlemaster had tried to take Sideswipe to their favourite bar after the battle to help the young mech loosen up, but unfortunately, it seemed to be there had been a brawl and the Enforcers had their holo tapes all around the place. In the end, Ironhide and Sideswipe decided to head home and called it an orn. But on their way back to the shared apartment, the young gladiator told Ironhide to wait while he stopped at an Art shop.

 _Since when was Sideswipe interested in art?_  Ironhide wondered, and he was even more amazed to see the red mech actually bought something from the store, a sketchpad and a collection of Iacon landscapes stored in a datapad.  _Iacon? Why?_  But the younger mech didn't provide any explanations as he simply put the items into his subspace and transformed into his Alt mode, together with Ironhide driving back home.

 _::Sideswipe::_  Ironhide commed the mech. The red vehicle in front of him slowed down to drive next to him.

_::What is it, 'Hide?::_

_::Ah... erm... How is your mood-swing?::_

It took Sideswipe longer than usual to reply,  _::I'm fine, 'Hide::_

_::The frag you are!::_

Sideswipe slightly twitched as he heard Ironhide's angry yelling.

 _::I know you are_ _**not** _ _fine! I know you're feeling like_ _**slag** _ _! You fought like a newbie! It was dumb luck that you even won! You're slagging moody and sad these orns, the_ _**Sideswipe** _ _I know was_ _**never** _ _moody and sad. What the frag had happened to you, you stupid glitch?::_

The young gladiator drove in silence, intending to steer away from his furious Battlemaster and caretaker. But Ironhide kept following him close, determined not to let him escape.

 _::Sides, talk to me::_  Ironhide demanded, no longer with an angry voice but, much to Sideswipe's surprise, an unusual pleading and hurtful one _._  The young gladiator silently blamed Ironhide for not being fair, playing the  _hurt_  card. It always worked since it broke Sideswipe's spark to see mechs he cared about in pain.

_::It was about Sunstreaker::_

Finally, Sideswipe replied. Ironhide tried to refresh his memories and eventually remembered the designation,  _::The... pleasure mech?::_  Surprise filled his voice. A long time ago, Ironhide had told Sideswipe that he needed a laid and then gone to book an appointment for him at a brothel. Sunstreaker, as he believed, was the designation of the mech that had served Sideswipe that orn,  _::What's with him? Did he do something to you?::_  Ironhide's voice sounded like he would actually stormed into the brothel to deal with this Sunstreaker for making Sideswipe like this.

 _::No, no, he didn't do anything to me!::_  Sideswipe quickly said,  _::He was..._ _ **good**_ _to me. He always knew how to make me feel better. 'Hide, since the first time we met, I have been returning to that brothel just to see_ _ **him**_ _. It was the happiest time of my life, 'Hide. My mood-swing got better because of_ _ **him**_ _, I fought better whenever I thought of_ _ **him**_ _, of the time we were_ _ **together**_ _. You_ _ **saw**_ _it, you saw how happy I was, how well I fought...::_

 _::Sides..::_  Ironhide was speechless at the red mech's wordy confession. But he couldn't deny it, since Sideswipe was speaking the truth. He had noticed how the young gladiator left their apartment almost every night and how happy he looked when he returned. Sure, he had looked like an idiot but Ironhide hadn't got anything against a happy moron. In fact, the Battlemaster had been proud and happy when he saw the young red mech in such bliss. He didn't know Sideswipe had only gone out to see Sunstreaker.  _Had he known..._

 _::I_ _ **hurt**_ _him, 'Hide::_  Sideswipe choked, voice shaken,  _::I said_ _ **things**_ _I shouldn't have. He_ _ **trusted**_ _me and I hurt him. He told me to stop coming to see him::_

Ironhide didn't know how to respond. Sideswipe had never been like this ever since...

 _::Sides...::_  Ironhide drove closer to the red vehicle,  _::He's a_ _ **pleasure mech**_ _. Remember that. You don't fall for a pleasure mech::_

 _::He's not like a normal pleasure mech. He's..::_  Sideswipe stopped for a moment to find a suitable word,  _::..he's special._ _ **Different**_ _::_

_::You said the same for...::_

_::_ _ **Don't**_ _you even speak of that designation!::_  Sideswipe suddenly roared,  _::Sunstreaker is nothing like_ _ **him**_ _! Don't you dare compare him with that..._ _ **mech**_ _!::_

Ironhide bit back immediately,  _::Have you forgotten what happened when you didn't think carefully? Listen to_ _ **yourself**_ _! You are_ _ **obsessed**_ _with this mech! He's a_ _ **whore**_ _and you're too good for the kind of him! He will hurt you, Sideswipe! No, he already_ _ **did**_ _!::_

 _::Don't you dare call him_ _ **that**_ _!::_  Sideswipe growled, steering aside to stop at a secluded side walk and quickly transformed into his root mode. Ironhide followed him shortly, transforming and stepped closer to him, faceplate wrinkled with anger.

"I'm not obsessed with him! I  **care**  about him! He helped me when no one else could! It's fair that I should care about him!" Sideswipe gritted his denta, optics locked on his caretaker as memories of the time with Sunstreaker rolled into his processor.

He wanted to be with the yellow mech, to have him wash away this rage, this pain and the memories of the past. But his spark throbbed hurtfully as he remembered Sunstreaker no longer wanted to be with him, that he had hurt him and he might hurt him again.

"It's his fragging  **job**  to please you!" Ironhide yelled at the young gladiator, "He was paid to make you feel good! He was using you and you fall right into his trap! The next thing you know is that he will never get off your back, he will follow you and bleed you dry of everything you got!"

"You're wrong. It will never happen. He doesn't want me," Sideswipe lowered his voice, remember Sunstreaker's hurtful glare.

"But you still  **want**  him!" Ironhide pointed a digit towards the young mech, "Eventually you will come back to see him, just as he had planned. He only said that to make you feel horrible about yourself, so that when he forgives you, you will never be able to leave him!"

Sideswipe didn't reply. He looked away from Ironhide with Sunstreaker's lonely optics and tired faceplate kept replaying in his processor. Sunstreaker was different. Ironhide wouldn't understand how different Sunstreaker was. The yellow mech was complicated, rude, moody and grumpy as frag. But there were more to Sunstreaker than met the eyes, he was a talented artist with a sensitive spark, a good and thoughtful listener and the strongest and most prideful pleasure mech Sideswipe had ever seen. He would never be the kind of mech Ironhide was referring to.

"I don't get it," Sideswipe mumbled, optics again found its way back to Ironhide's angry faceplate, "If you don't want me to care about a pleasure mech, then why did you book me an appointment in the first place? You did this to me all the time, trying to throw pleasure mechs into my faceplate and then when I  **actually**  enjoyed one, you got mad and yelled at me."

"Because of your stupid mood-swing and  **paranoia** , that's why! I want you to feel better, to relieve stress or whatever happened in that slagging CPU of yours! I chose pleasure mechs because they are good and fast frag and can keep their clients' identities secret! And I chose them because I wanted you to  **believe**  in other mechs again! I wanted you to  **stop**  being paranoid, to stop doubting other mechs and realize that  **not**  everyone wanted to hurt you!" Ironhide raise his voice, exploding in rage, "I didn't want you to  **love**  another pleasure mech!  **Again**!"

 _Love?_  Sideswipe stumbled at the word. Was that why he always returned to the brothel to see Sunstreaker, just to talk, to play games with and recharge next to him? Was that why he felt like slag when he hurt Sunstreaker? Was that why his spark felt empty when Sunstreaker wasn't around? He shivered at the word, the thoughts and evidences that Ironhide was right.  _No, he couldn't love Sunstreaker, he wouldn't..._

_He just wanted to be with him, it was that simple._

" **He** **'s**  different, you won't understand," Sideswipe firmly claimed, staring into Ironhide's optics, "You said you did all of these just to help me believe in other mechs again. But it is  **you**  who are being paranoid. You are the one who has troubles believing in other mechs. Why don't you try to open your spark to  **trust**  that Sunstreaker wouldn't hurt me? To see how happy I was when I was with  **him**?"

Ironhide, as if Sideswipe had reached the hidden dark truth deep inside him, sneered and narrowed his optics, "Happy? Don't make me laugh. You do know you're not the only one he spread his legs for right?"

And Sideswipe lost it.

He swung forward and punched Ironhide as hard as he could, causing the older red mech to fall backward and hit the ground hard. Ironhide rubbed his dented faceplate, spitting out Energon as he looked at the heavily venting and furious mech. He was expecting the young gladiator to jump on him and start beating him already, but Sideswipe turned away instead, quickly transformed and drove away from the old mech.

Ironhide slowly stood up afterward. Optics shone dimly, denta gritted, "Stupid glitch..."

He mumbled, then transformed and drove after the young mech.

_Sideswipe was really and blindly in love._

To Ironhide, this was even more problematic than his mood-swing.

* * *

_**Meanwhile, at the Nuts 'n' Screws...** _

At Sunstreaker's end, things weren't exactly going well, either.

He leaned against the window in his quarter, looking at repetitive view outside. His spark was tired,  _exhausted_  more like, after trying to calm his twin brother down through their bond. His own moods weren't even pretty to begin with, and his brother's constant pain and rage these three orns obviously didn't help him at all. Lockdown wasn't pleased with his performance lately as he said the yellow mech was even more unresponsive than he had been before. He was actually getting quite close to have Lockdown activate that switch every time he served a mech.

Sunstreaker had thought that if he wouldn't see Sideswipe again, he would eventually get over the hurt and betrayed feelings. Yet he was  _wrong_. He was only getting worse. His spark screamed for  _Sideswipe_ , for his presence, for his voice and his handsome faceplate and strong frame. When he lied next to a mech he could only wish that it was Sideswipe because only with Sideswipe had he recharged soundly. When a client tried to sweet talk to him, his processor replayed his time with the red mech, his charming smile and witty charisma. He felt stupid for telling Sideswipe not to come to see him again. Now he was paying the price, continuously in depression and self-conflicts while baring the shame of his failure to erase his brother's negative emotions.

Sunstreaker missed Sideswipe more than he had expected.

Yet at the same time, he couldn't forgive the red mech.

He had to be strong, be rational. He couldn't lose anymore of  _him_  than he already had. Sideswipe had hurt him, insulted and threatened him. And Sideswipe might hurt him again. He had to protect himself, so that he wouldn't send anymore distress toward his twin brother.

Suddenly, his private comm link pinged. It was  _that mech_ , again. The yellow mech sighed at the designation appeared on his HUD. It wasn't that Sunstreaker hated him, in fact, it was rather vice versa.

_::I'm here::_

This time, Sunstreaker was too tired to care and for the first time ever since he left Iacon, he answered the comm.

 _::About slagging time you answer my comm.! Do you have any ideas how long did I have to wait for you? I have thought that I might even be offline and you aren't going to answer!::_ the angry voice from the other side exploded.

 _::Ugh... if you're comming just to scold me, I'm going to disconnect now::_  Sunstreaker groaned, maybe this wasn't a good idea after all.

_::Don't you slagging dare, you glitch! Do you even remember what I told you when you left Iacon? I have told you to comm me! To let me know how you were doing! To keep me updated! Do you know how worried I am, you ungrateful slagger? I shouldn't have let you leave in the first place!::_

Sunstreaker sighed as he listened to the mech. He could feel the anger, the pain and, maybe, relief in his voice. He didn't forget, he just didn't want to comm him. Because he would ask questions and Sunstreaker would have to lie about his status, knowing too well the mech would personally travel around Cybertron just to look for him if he knew Sunstreaker was being stupid and working as a pleasure mech, and he would know the yellow mech was lying, he always knew. How, though, Sunstreaker couldn't figure it out. Come to think of it, Sunstreaker still believed it was a good thing that he hadn't told the mech that he was going to Kaon.

 _::You want to know how I'm doing? Oh I'll let you know::_  Sunstreaker growled in irritation,  _::I felt like_ _ **slag**_ _. Horrible. Depression. Whatever you want to call. It's fragging stupid. There, are you satisfied?::_

There was silence on the other side of the comm. For a moment, Sunstreaker thought the mech had disconnected. But after a while, the mech replied, voice soften and was filled with worries,  _::What happened, Sunstreaker?::_

The yellow mech didn't respond, only let out a sigh, optics wandered to the empty berth in the middle of the quarter. The berth that held too many memories for Sunstreaker. It was where mechs had fragged him, where Lockdown had violated his frame with his switch, where Sideswipe comforted him into peaceful recharge with only his presence.

_::Someone wanted to be friends with me::_

Sunstreaker simply said. The mech on the other side suddenly laughed, lifting up their intense atmosphere, then he replied,  _::You are Sunstreaker, alright. I can imagine why this concept can be frightful to a mech like you::_

 _::Not funny::_  the yellow mech pouted.

 _::Are you ever?::_  the mech chuckled,  _::So... tell me about this mech. Let me guess, you have a thing for him, right?::_

 _::Wha-? I don't have a thing for him!::_  Sunstreaker quickly said, frame tighten up immediately,  _::He's an idiot. I don't have a thing for idiots::_

 _::Sunstreaker, you_ _**like** _ _him. I can sense your crush on him all the way from Iacon::_

Sunstreaker pouted again.

 _::You like him and he wanted to be your friends and you refused because you're Sunstreaker so you are now feeling like slag. Tell me I'm right::_  the mech continued.

_::No, you're not. And what the frag do you mean by 'because I'm Sunstreaker'?::_

_::Isn't that obvious?::_

The yellow mech groaned. It had been too long since he last chatted with the mech. Speaking to him again reminded Sunstreaker why he always relied on him, and why he always shared his burden with him only. After the long pause, Sunstreaker mumbled,  _::We fought::_

The mech on the other side remained silent, waiting for Sunstreaker to finish his story.  _::He called me... things. I told him not to see me again::_  Sunstreaker paused,  _::It has been three orns and... I guess I kinda miss him. Don't worry, I'm even surprise at myself::_  His processor wandered off to the memories of the time he spent with Sideswipe, and then to their previous fight.

 _::Sunstreaker, there are always ups and downs in a relationship. You have to accept that. Look at us! How many times do we fight?::_ the mech said after a silent moment.

_::Ugh...::_

_::Exactly. Sunstreaker, both you and him are allowed to be mad, it's your_ _**emotions** _ _, they are what make us sentient beings. We hurt each other, all the time, even if we don't mean it. What important is what we'll do after that. To let go or to do anything to fix the relationship. Did he apologize to you, Sunstreaker? Did he do_ _**anything** _ _?::_

The yellow mech looked out of the window, silently pondered on what the mech had told him,  _::Yes::_ , finally, he replied,  _::He said he was sorry. He said he couldn't control himself::_  he remembered the sight of a regretful Sideswipe reaching towards him,  _::But how can I know he really meant it? How can I be sure that he won't hurt me_ _ **again**_ _?::_

 _::Sunstreaker, I know you're careful._ _**I** _ _was the one who taught you to be careful around other mechs. But why don't you give it a_ _**try** _ _? To forgive? To try and be his friend? I can't promise you that he won't hurt you again, and I fragging hope that it won't ever happen. But I don't want you to feel_ _**regret** _ _for the rest of your life because of your choice of letting him go, either::_

Sunstreaker didn't know what to say in reply. The mech didn't know he actually had tried to open his spark, had tried to let other mech walk into his life. He had given everything he got to  _a certain mech_. And that choice had led him to this place. How could he know Sideswipe wouldn't hurt him, wouldn't use him and then throw him away like a frag toy like  _that mech_  had done? His fear grew when he compared Sideswipe with that mech and realized they were so much alike. Both were witty, charismatic, mischievous and loved teasing Sunstreaker. Both were strong mechs, annoyingly stubborn and both wanted to be friends with him.

_No, Sideswipe wouldn't..._

That mech couldn't calm Sunstreaker's spark like Sideswipe did. There were still some parts within the yellow mech that wanted to trust Sideswipe. To believe that he was different from him. He soon realized that he would get neither answers nor assurances from anybody, even from the mech on the other side of the comm.

 _::I don't know... but I'll think about what you said::_  Sunstreaker sighed.

_::I'm your caretaker, so don't shut me out. Remember to answer your comm whenever I'm trying to contact you, you glitch. I'll check in every orn to see if you need any help with that mech::_

_::I can take care of myself but... thanks, anyway::_  Sunstreaker mumbled,  _::And I'm sorry for ignoring your comms, Ratchet::_

The mech called Ratchet chuckled,  _::It's alright. When are you going back to Iacon? The clinic is getting bored without you here::_

_::I don't know. I haven't found my brother yet. I think he might be in trouble, he hadn't been feeling well these orns and I-::_

The sound of the opened door interrupted Sunstreaker's chat with Ratchet. He turned around to see who was in his quarter and his spark almost stopped pulsing as he saw who that mech was.  _::Sunstreaker?::_  Ratchet kept calling his designation on the comm, but Sunstreaker was too busy focusing his optics on the mech standing at his door.

 _::I've got to go. Comm you later, Ratchet::_  Sunstreaker quickly said then disconnected the comm., ignoring Ratchet's unapproved replies. He looked at the mech, leaving the window and started walking towards him. Only when they were only an arm away, Sunstreaker stared into the blue optics and asked.

"What are you doing here, Sideswipe?"

* * *

Ironhide couldn't believe he had let that mech fooled him.

Sideswipe had him cut off from the chase when he tricked him by driving into the main road, but then suddenly steered away into an alleyway. Ironhide got stuck in traffic and what worse was that the said traffic was maintained by a young talkative Enforcer trainee went by the designation Bluestreak. The young Enforcer was chatting with a bystander and didn't seem to even notice the busy traffic behind his back.

After he finally got out, Sideswipe was nowhere to be seen. Ironhide had tried to drive back to their favourite bar -  _The_   _Illusionist_ , to see the Enforcers' holo tapes had been lift off and mechs had started going in and out as if nothing had happened. But Sideswipe wasn't among them. Ironhide drove to the Arena, asking the other gladiators to know whether they saw the red mech or not. Sadly, none had seen him. It took him a while to find the young red mech then it suddenly hit Ironhide with an obvious answer. Of course, why hadn't he thought of this before?

Sideswipe had probably come back to Sunstreaker.

Ironhide drove at top speed to the  _Nuts 'n' Screws_ , determined to drag Sideswipe out of that place, even if he had to beat him into unconsciousness. He matched into the brothel, earning for himself concerned, scared and confused looks from the mechs there along the way. But the old mech didn't care. He wouldn't let Sideswipe get hurt again. Ironhide would do anything just to protect the young mech, even if it meant he would be arrested for causing troubles.

He only stopped when he saw a black and green mech standing in front of the door leading upstairs, to the quarters of the pleasure mechs. Ironhide remembered who that mech was - Lockdown, the owner of this place, the mech who had introduced Sunstreaker to him. Standing next to Lockdown, on each side, were two huge black mechs, twice bigger than Ironhide, probably the security of this place. Ironhide didn't care, he had fought worse.

"Long time no see, Ironhide. Can I help you with anything?" Lockdown smiled, waving a servo at the old mech.

"Where is  **he**?" growled Ironhide, servos curled into fists.

"Where is who?"

"Don't play coy with me! You know who I'm talking about! Where is  **Sideswipe**?" Ironhide growled louder, took one step toward Lockdown, the two big mechs immediately moved to stand in front of him, ready to kick him out. Lockdown raised his servo, silently told his security guards to back down.

"He's seeing a mech. I'm afraid I can't let you interfere, for the sake of my client and my employee. I hope you understand," Lockdown still kept the polite smile on his faceplate that made Ironhide really want to punch him.

"I don't fragging care! I won't let that whore touch him or hurt him again! Step aside or I'll make you to!"

Lockdown let out a sigh, shaking his helm then, surprisingly, told his security guards to go away, "Can I talk to you in private for a bit? Look, I don't want troubles and neither do you. I want to show you something and then you can have your gladiator back. I'll even keep Sunstreaker away from him, if you want. All I ask of you is to listen to me."

The old mech grunted, battling in his processor whether he should do what Lockdown said. "Fine," Ironhide said, finally made up his mind, "Make it quick. Just know that whatever you do, it won't change my mind."

"That is remained to be seen. Follow me," Lockdown said, tilting his helm. The old mech was reluctant, but still followed him afterward. He told himself that nothing could change his mind about Sideswipe and Sunstreaker. Life hadn't been treating his adopted sparkling fair and he deserved better, better than a pleasure mech. Didn't Sideswipe learn anything from his mistake? Didn't Sideswipe realize that pleasure mechs were dangerous? But then again, it was Ironhide who hooked him up with the pleasure mechs, in hope of getting the younger mech loosen up from his mood-swing, in hope of curing the mech's paranoid in others. He could only blame himself for his stupidity, but he wouldn't expect Sideswipe would repeat the same mistake again, to fall in love with another pleasure mech.

At least maybe this time he could intervene before it was too late.

Lockdown led Ironhide into his office and told him to take a seat in front of his working desk. The Battlemaster did as the other told him to, optics still fixed on the other mech, jaw tightened. Yet Lockdown didn't flinch from the old mech's murderous glare and intense looks, he simply turned the surveillance monitor so that it was now facing Ironhide, "Look," Lockdown said as he turned on the screen.

Displayed before Ironhide's widened optics on the monitor was Sideswipe and the so-called Sunstreaker, he believed so. "You have cameras in your employees' quarters?"

"For safety purpose only. In case the clients are going too far," Lockdown simply shrugged, "This is what happening in Sunstreaker's quarter right now. What do you see?"

Ironhide had never actually seen Sunstreaker. When he first came here to look for some mechs to help relieving Sideswipe from his mood-swing, Ironhide didn't have an exact idea who he was looking for. Lockdown only dropped the designation of Sunstreaker and told him he was his finest pleasure mech and Ironhide, thinking whoever was alright anyway, agreed without checking the mech up. This was the first time he saw Sunstreaker, the pleasure mech that Sideswipe was helm over pedes, blindly in love to the point of annoyance.

Ironhide's first impression only was,  _they looked awfully alike_. Their frames were similar and they even shared the same height and size. The only differences between Sideswipe and Sunstreaker were the designs of their helms, their paint jobs and some details on their faceplates and platings. Maybe that was why he had captured the young gladiator's spark? As Sideswipe could see and related himself to him?

The old mech's second impression was,  _they looked... good together_ , even he was surprised at the thought. He couldn't figure out why, but he just felt like it.

_"Sunstreaker, I'm sorry..."_

Ironhide startled as he heard the young gladiator's voice. He looked at Lockdown and realized the mech had turned on the volume to let him know what Sideswipe and Sunstreaker were talking about.

_"I don't know how many times I have to say 'I'm sorry' but I don't care. These three orns had been tortures without you. And I regret everything I said and did to you that orn."_

_Sideswipe had fallen hard, hadn't he?_  Ironhide thought.

 _"I bought these for you, a peace offering. I noticed how you're running out of space on your sketchpad, so I bought you a new one. And this..."_  Sideswipe said as he showed the sketchpad and the datapad with Iacon landscapes to Sunstreaker.

So Ironhide finally understood Sideswipe's sudden interest in art.

 _"...I remembered you drew Iacon when we first met, and you told me it was where you grew up. I think that, maybe this will help you feel better, reminding you of your home,"_  Sideswipe said. Much to Ironhide's surprise, Sunstreaker stayed silent, and not moving even one bit, most pleasure mechs at this point would have jumped on the red mech and started kissing him already.  _"Sunstreaker?"_  Sideswipe called again.

Silence went by for a long while, and Sunstreaker finally said,  _"...it's_ _ **Sunny**_ _. You can call me Sunny."_

The smile on Sideswipe's faceplate was the widest, happiest one Ironhide had ever seen.

_"Sunny ~ I like that. Does that mean you...?"_

_"Yes... I... I want to_ _ **trust**_ _you. Again. I actually miss our time together... a little. I want to_ _ **try**_ _and... be your friend, if it's still possible,"_  the yellow mech said, looking away from Sideswipe, struggling for words.

All of sudden, Sideswipe put his gifts on the berth nearby to rush toward Sunstreaker and hugged him, wrapping his arms around the too-similar frame that he had missed for three orns. It was not an intimate hug, one that lovers or berthmates gave to each other. It was more like a hug from a friend to another, to comfort a distress spark, to express their joy of being together.

Ironhide didn't know how to react to that.

 _"With_ _ **you**_ _? It's always possible,"_  Sideswipe smiled,  _"I'll never hurt you again. But I also... want you to understand that, I'm dealing with an emotional problem that is related to my spark and I... ah... I tend to lose self-control if someone touches me near my chassis. So..."_

 _"I see,"_  Sunstreaker mumbled. His frame seemed to be relaxed within Sideswipe's arms. Slowly, he lifted a servo up, gently touched the red mech's shoulder. It was a simple touch, strangely tender and pure for a pleasure mech. Sideswipe shivered, sighed in bliss as he rested his helm on the yellow shoulder.

_"Oh, Sunny, Sunny, Sunny. I love this nickname, it's cute."_

_"Don't overuse it or I'll regret of letting you call me that,"_  Sunstreaker smacked the red mech's helm, huffing.

 _"Then I suggest you can start regretting now,"_  Sideswipe let go of the yellow mech, playfully poke his glossa out at him,  _"Sunny, Sunny, Sunny, Sunny ~"_

 _"Out with you,"_  Sunstreaker grunted and threw the pillow on the berth toward the teasing mech. Sideswipe caught the pillow and immediately threw it back at the yellow bot, laughing in almost pure bliss. It made Ironhide feel as if his fight with him had never happened, and this was the happy, cheerful Sideswipe that the old mech had always wanted to see.

"What do you see, Ironhide?"

Lockdown repeat the question, crossing his arms and leaning against his working desk. Ironhide didn't turn to look at the black and green mech, optics focusing on the playful scene displayed on the monitor.

Sideswipe was happy,  **truly**  happy, and Sunstreaker was playing pillow fight with him. How could this scene even be happening in a  _brothel_? So far both of the mechs hadn't done anything inappropriate. They threw pillow at each other, then Sunstreaker thanked Sideswipe for his gifts by drawing him. The red mech tried to wiggle as much as he could to tease and annoy Sunstreaker, and then Sunstreaker would grumble and told Sideswipe to stop being such an annoying glitch.

"A pair of sparklings playing with each other," Ironhide finally answered.

Lockdown chuckled.

"But this doesn't change anything," the old mech grunted, slowly returned to his angry self, " **lies**  are what pleasure mechs excel at."

"You're not wrong. But Sunstreaker tells the least lies," Lockdown said, pulling a datapad from his desk then gave it to Ironhide, "This datapad stores all of the camera footages of these two, since the first orn Sideswipe came here."

"You're expecting me to watch  **this**?" Ironhide now turned his attention back to the black and green mech, disbelief and disgust showed clear on his faceplate.

"If you care about your gladiator, you  **will**  watch this," Lockdown firmly stated, the polite smile had already disappeared, "I can assure you that the footages are... less exciting than what you're having in your processor."

Ironhide let out a growl, staring into the red optics of the mech standing next to him. Slowly, he turned to look at the monitor, looking at his adopted sparkling, who was now sitting on the berth next to Sunstreaker as they watched the Iacon landscapes together. Ironhide hated himself to feel that they did look good together. The old mech grunted, then snatched the datapad from Lockdown's servo, "Fine. I'll watch this."

He turned on the datapad, optics fixing on the number of the orn Sideswipe first came here, listening to the banters between the two mechs, watching them play harmless verbal games together. Ironhide saw Sideswipe's restlessness when Sunstreaker wasn't recharging next to him, saw Sunstreaker's unusually cold attitudes and his lack of seduction that were expected to come from a pleasure mech. In the end, Ironhide was being too immersed in the datapad that he had lost track of time.

"Why are you doing this?" Ironhide breathed out, still watching the footage, digits lingered on the blissful faceplate of the mech whom he treated as his own sparkling.

"A win-win situation," Lockdown shrugged, "Listen, a mech actually booked an appointment with Sunstreaker this orn. But I cancelled it, you know why? Because your precious gladiator showed up and demanded me to let him meet his dear Sunshine. Sideswipe wasn't the only one struggling and you weren't the only one had to deal with the mess. Sunstreaker didn't do well these orns and it started effecting his performance. I can't have that. So I let Sideswipe go see Sunstreaker so that they can sort things out themselves, and so I can have  **my**  Sunstreaker back."

He walked closer to the old mech, crossing his arms and continued, "And you are causing troubles, for  **me**  and for both of  **them**. I take it now you know why I showed you this."

The mech paused as he received a ping in his private comm link, quickly glanced at Ironhide before turning away, moving toward the door, "I've got work to do. See yourself out after you're done."

Ironhide didn't bother replying. He sat silently in the office with the datapad resided in both of his servos, memorizing all of the moments the two mechs spent together. There were no fraggings, only friendly conversations and playful verbal games. Maybe he was wrong? Maybe Sideswipe was speaking the truth? That Sunstreaker was actually different? The old mech looked up at the surveillance monitor to see that the two young mechs were still chatting over the Iacon landscapes collection. Decided that he had seen enough, Ironhide turned off the datapad, put it back onto Lockdown's working desk and headed out of the office with thoughts crowded his processor.

He did miss out the scene that was playing on the surveillance monitor after that, though.

The scene in which Sideswipe had subconsciously wrapped an arm around Sunstreaker's waist to pull him closer.

The scene in which the two mechs had stopped talking and stared into each other's optics instead.

It was the scene where Sideswipe leaned closer to Sunstreaker and planted a gentle kiss upon his lips for the first time.


	4. In Longing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sunstreaker experienced first-hand the effect of Opidium. Through their bond, Sideswipe also suffered. Meanwhile, Prowl helped Ironhide in dealing with Sideswipe's love life.
> 
>  
> 
> **Warning: rough sex leading to serious injures.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Klik ~ a Cybertronian second
> 
> Cycle ~ a Cybertronian minute
> 
> Megacycle ~ a Cybertronian hour
> 
> Orn ~ a Cybertronain day
> 
> Quintun ~ a Cybertronian week
> 
> Diun ~ a Cybertronian month
> 
> Stellar cycle ~ a Cybertronian year

_::Ratchet, what should I do?::_

Sunstreaker groaned into the comm link, tossed and turned on the empty berth. It had been an orn after he and Sideswipe had made up and decided to become "friends". Although their friendship could be considered short lived, as not long after that, Sideswipe had kissed him. Not on the cheeks like they usually did, but right on the lips.

 _::Sunstreaker, are you panicking? Are you even Sunstreaker? What the frag had happened to you?::_  Ratchet replied on the other side of the comm.

_::Ratchet...::_

_::Go on. What happened after he kissed you? How did you feel?::_

Sunstreaker put an arm on his forehelm, flashbacks of that orn returning to his processor. After Sideswipe suddenly kissed him, Sunstreaker was shocked and quickly pushed the red mech away. Not because he hated it, he had tasted worse kisses. And Sideswipe didn't forcefully kiss him, he even apologized after that. But at the back of his processor, the faceplate of the mech who had ruined his life appeared. The mech that he used to love, to give up everything he got to him.

_::I pushed him away. He said he was sorry and wouldn't do that again::_

_::Sounds like you::_

_::We're still friends, though. It was just... a sudden moment. Both of us didn't think things through,::_  Sunstreaker continued, remembering Sideswipe's hurt and regretful faceplate when he was pushed away,  _::It was a... pretty lame kiss, though. Just lips::_

The yellow mech huffed and Ratchet let out a chuckle in return,  _::You want more than just lips?::_

_::That's not what I meant::_

_::You did say lame. It meant you want more::_ Ratchet playfully said.

Sunstreaker pouted.

_::Though I'm amazed that you let him kiss you and still you guys are friends::_

_::You told me to try::_

_::I did. And you are doing the right thing. First kiss can be confusing, I know. But you seem to be alright with it. Maybe I can have my hopes up so the next time I see you, you guys already bonded::_

_::Ratchet, that's fragged up::_

The thought of opening his spark for someone else made Sunstreaker shiver. It reminded him of the painful past. But it was the least of his worries right now. Ratchet didn't know Sideswipe's kiss actually wasn't his first kiss. Through the stellar cycles living with the doctor, Sunstreaker had let  _nobody_  touch him, let alone kiss him, so it was right for his caretaker to assume that the yellow mech didn't have any romantic interactions with any mech. It had changed when he had come to Kaon and met  _that mech_ , though.  _That mech_  had taken Sunstreaker's first kiss, first love, and even his first interfacing.

He didn't know if he should take chances with Sideswipe. With his current status as a pleasure mech, he didn't even know if Lockdown ever allowed him to be in a relationship with another mech.  _::Sunstreaker? Are you still with me?::_  Ratchet pulled him back from his wandering thoughts. The mech groaned, about to say something about Sideswipe. He needed advises, and Ratchet had been a good judge of character.

Suddenly, his quarter's door opened.  _::Comm you later, Ratchet. I've got to go::_  Sunstreaker said, disconnecting from the comm link. He sat up on the berth, looking at the mech that was walking toward him. His client of this orn, a huge mech with dark blue paint job and red optics. With that size, his spike must be quite enormous. Sunstreaker winced at the thought of it penetrating his valve.  _Ugh.._. he even felt sick just thinking about it.

As if sensing Sunstreaker's discomfort, the big mech grinned and sat down on the berth next to him, wrapping an arm around the yellow mech's waist. Sunstreaker's frame stiffened under the strange touch. "So, Sunstreaker, I have heard so much about you. You're famous for your hard-to-get attitudes."

Sunstreaker didn't reply, simply looking away from the stranger's red optics. The big mech let out a small laugh, his servo ran up and down on Sunstreaker's side, "Just as expected. Don't worry, pretty bot. I'll make sure that we'll both feel very good." As said, the mech pulled out a small piece of mineral and showed it in front of the yellow mech, who had turned around. The mineral piece was strange, raw and transparent. Light grey colored its rough texture, tint of white glistening as it reflected the light from outside the window. Sunstreaker had never seen anything like that before, he was sure that it wasn't some kind of Energon though.

"What is it?" he asked, curiously looked at the strange mineral.

"Something that will drive you mad like a turbofox in heat. This, darling, is called  **Opidium**."

* * *

Sideswipe laid awake on his berth in his and Ironhide's shared apartment. He remembered his first kiss with Sunstreaker and his spark once again vibrated in a happiness that even he didn't expect. Sideswipe knew what this meant. It meant Ironhide was right, that he  **loved**  Sunstreaker. This wasn't the first time he fell in love, after all. He was familiar with the bliss, the comfort his spark felt whenever the mech he loved was around.  _Just like that mech used to make him feel..._

Parts of Sideswipe were scared of the unknown consequences of starting a new relationship, especially with a pleasure mech again. But he didn't want to lose Sunstreaker, didn't want to stop meeting him and didn't want their relationship to just be casual. He wanted  **more**. He wanted that beautiful mech to smile at him, to call him a "sweetspark", though he doubted Sunstreaker would actually do so, to wrap his arms around him and make him feel good. He told himself, he would take it slow this time, and he would try to think things through. He was scared of starting a new relationship but he was excited as well.

Maybe, he should  **try** one more time.

Sunstreaker had let him kiss him, had accepted his apologies for being rush and hadn't gotten mad at him afterward. Sideswipe would take these as positive signs. They were friends for now, for both of them to have some times to think about what they should do. Sideswipe convinced himself that he would be more careful this time, and the next time he met Sunstreaker he would tell him that he was willing to try. But the issues were still there, Sunstreaker was a pleasure mech and not until his contract with Lockdown ended, he couldn't entirely belong to Sideswipe and the red mech had to accept that his Sunny would share berths with many more mechs. As they had developed their relationship, Sideswipe grew more and more uncomfortable with that fact.

_And then there was Ironhide..._

Sideswipe had been reluctant to return home because of Ironhide. He didn't want to meet the old mech and get into another argument with him. In the end, Sideswipe wandered around the city after he had left the  _Nuts 'n' Screw_ for what felt like megacycles, trying to bolstering his courage and preparing speeches to meet the old Battlemaster again. He stopped by the  _Illusionist_ , grabbed a high-grade, drank it empty and quickly drove back home before he changed his mind. The gladiator had expected to see Ironhide waiting for him, crossing his arms across his chestplate and yelling at him as soon as he stepped into their apartment. And he had also prepared to defense himself, his opinions about Sunstreaker and even tell Ironhide that he loved the yellow mech. But the reality had been less exciting. Ironhide wasn't home when Sideswipe returned. There were no notes or clues about his whereabouts either.

The red mech didn't know whether he should be worried or relieve about Ironhide's absence. Sideswipe retreated to his room afterward, though. A couple of megacycles later, the young mech heard the unlocking sound of his apartment's door, signaling the return of Ironhide. Before Sideswipe could leave his room to go have a talk with the old mech, Ironhide had left again. This time, he did leave a note, saying how Sideswipe shouldn't be worried about him and he had some businesses to attend to. There were nothing about Sunstreaker or their previous argument. The note almost seemed too normal, as if nothing had happened.

Sideswipe didn't know what was going on in Ironhide's CPU.

Ironhide hadn't returned home since. A sudden wave of panic in his spark had urged Sideswipe to think that he should go out and look for the older mech. He had to make him understand that Sunstreaker was different and he had no intentions of getting hurt again. The red mech sat up on the berth, intending to do as he planned. Suddenly, he fell on his side, frame overheating and optics shuttering.

 _What the frag...?_  He thought as an almost unbearable charge shot through him. His interface cover snapped open immediately and his spike sprung out right after that, fully pressurized. He was sure that he didn't think of anything inappropriate. So why the frag that he suddenly felt horny in all of sudden?

"Fraaag...," he groaned, a servo moved down to wrap around his leaking spike. Even his valve felt wet and it was weird since he had always preferred to use his spike. This had to end.  _He needed to. He had to..._

* * *

Sunstreaker wrapped a servo around the base of the mech's enormous spike while letting his glossa playing with its tip. His optics shone too bright, their usual cerulean color was now almost white. The big mech grinned, putting a servo on the back of Sunstreaker's helm and forcefully pushed him down on his spike. The yellow mech almost gagged, his mouth seemed too small for the spike as it hit the back of his vocalizer, but he didn't care.

He needed to get rid of this stupid charge.

A couple of cycles ago, as soon as the big mech had bitten half of the mineral that he called Opidium, Sunstreaker had felt unsettling and tried to move away from his grip. But before he could escape the mech had gripped him harder and he was sure that slagger had been getting stronger suddenly. Was that because of that piece of Opidium? In a few kliks, the mech had pinned him on the berth and tried to force the other half of the Opidium into his mouth. Sunstreaker had tried to bite, to punch, to kick him off him. He didn't want that stupid mineral, he had even,  _shamefully_ , tried to  _beg_  when all of his attempts had been useless against the much bigger and strangely stronger mech.  _ **Please**_ _, please, don't do this. Please get off me. Please, I don't want it._  It just went on like that and his spark had been feeling like it was being shattered to pieces. He had even felt that fragger's spike rubbed against his codpiece and it was  _horrible_. The faceplate of  _Sideswipe_  had flashed before his optics and he desperately wanted him here.  _Sideswipe_  would help him.  _Sideswipe_  wouldn't let that mech hurt him. He never liked calling for help from anyone but he wanted  _Sideswipe_   **here**. He had actually screamed for the designation  _Sideswipe_  and the mech had responded by grabbing his servo around his neck, choking him up. He sobbed, whispering pleas and mumbling the word  _'Sides'_ repeatedly like a mantra.

It went against all of his own morality and instincts but he had wanted to comm Ratchet  **and**  even Lockdown. He wanted to tell them to come and do whatever they can to help him, to make that mech stop and get the frag off him. Before he had actually commed those two, the big mech had grabbed his chin and forced his mouth to open, planting a forceful kiss on his lips and using his glossa to push the piece of mineral down the yellow mech's vocalizer.

This was even worse than Lockdown's switch as he felt charge shot through him almost immediately, both of his interface covers snapped opened and optics shone too bright. What even worse was that he actually  **wanted**  to be fragged. His processor had been too dizzy and lost in so much charge that he didn't care if he had to act like a real pleasure mech to be fulfilled, he didn't even remember his designation and his usual proud and sullen self. Pride and dignity be damned.

What did they put in that mineral anyway?

As his mouth and glossa continued to pleasure the mech's spike, he slid a servo down to play with his own valve, now being too wet and clenching on air. He moaned, feeling the spike straining inside his mouth, almost too much to bear, yet arousing at the same time. A digit slid into his valve, nudging and rubbing against the soft mesh inside. Lubricant started seeping out of it under the influence of the Opidium and the encouragement of his digit, coating the servo a glistening silvery pink. The big mech groaned at the scene where Sunstreaker was sucking him off while playing with his own valve. He used both servos to grab the yellow mech's helm fins, keeping him still while thrusting his hips upward, into the hot cavern of the mech's mouth.

* * *

Sideswipe spread his legs wider as he threw his helm back, hitting the berth beneath. Both servos were pumping his spike up and down in a ridiculous fast pace. The red mech was now moaning and cursing at the same time. He needed this to end. He needed an overload. he needed something, someone, he needed...

"Sunny..."

Sideswipe gasped as the yellow mech's faceplate flashed into his processor. They hadn't done anything intimately, kissing was the only and the most romantic interaction they had ever given each other. That didn't mean Sideswipe wasn't attracted to Sunstreaker, to his beautiful faceplate and strong yet graceful frame. _Oh Primus, how he wanted to interface with Sunstreaker._  He had thought of this once or twice before but he never actually did it, not without the yellow mech's agreement and affection.

He wondered, how Sunstreaker would look when he was about to overload, when Sideswipe pushed his spike into him. Would he moan? Would he wrap his arms around him and scratch his shoulder, losing in ecstasy? Would he be a loud mech or a silent one in berth? The questions made Sideswipe's charge even rose higher as he increased his speed, thrusting his hips upward in sync with his servos.

"Oh, Sunny,..."

The nickname even made him feel dirty and aroused. He offlined his optics, imagining it wasn't his servos but Sunstreaker's wonderful plum lips wrapping around his spike, glossa licking and sucking him off, or his wet, leaking valve as he rode the red spike in abandonment. He moaned Sunstreaker's designation, trying to picture in his processor the image of a horny, gorgeous Sunstreaker with dim optics and feral smile. The imaginary Sunny gave his spike one last lick and that was it for Sideswipe as he overloaded. Hard.

* * *

Sunstreaker choked as he felt the mech's overload, his fluids flood into the yellow mech's vocalizer. The big servos still held his helm still, forcing Sunstreaker to swallow all of the fluids. And he did. Worse, under the influence of the Opidium, Sunstreaker actually  **liked**  it. The big mech grabbed the back of his neck, pull him upward and away from the still-hard spike. He grinned at the sight of a needy Sunstreaker whose optics were darkened with lust, lips slightly opened with a trail of transfluid running from his lower lip to his chin.

"Aren't you a beautiful slut?" the dark blue mech grabbed Sunstreaker's arms and pull him forward, letting the smaller bot straddle him. The lust, the arousal was still there. He rubbed his large spike against Sunstreaker's aft, earning a moan from the yellow mech. "What do you want, pretty bot?" he asked, running a thumb on the pleasure mech's lips.

Sunstreaker only groaned and licked the thumb in return, optics shone dimly. He wanted to be fragged, he wanted this charge to disappear. His processor right now felt like it only contained the most basic coding, namely  _'how to get fragged'_  because he couldn't be able to think of anything else besides having a spike deep inside his valve. "I take it you want a frag?" the big mech smirked, slowly pushing the thumb into the willing mouth that was now sucking it off eagerly. Sunstreaker started to move slowly as a response, rubbing his aft against the spike while letting his own spike leaving a smear of lubricant on the other mech's abdomen.

"Then ride me, slut," the big mech growled aggressively, moving his servos to grip Sunstreaker's yellow thighs. The smaller mech shivered at the command.  _He wanted this. Needed this. He had to._  He lifted his hips up; slowly ease the entrance of his valve down the spike. It was huge, and Sunstreaker felt like it was tearing him in half just with its tip pushing his valve's folds aside. Suddenly, Sideswipe's faceplate and his first kiss with him appeared in his processor.  _No no no. He didn't want this. Make it stop. He-_

Sunstreaker screamed in pain as the big mech grabbed his hips to slam him down on his spike. His pain sensor alerted the damage immediately and Sunstreaker was sure that his valve was definitely being torn. "S-slo-slowe-" Sunstreaker gasped in pain, legs trembling as he fell forward, down onto the mech's chestplate, digits curled into fists to try to fight the pain. His plea didn't seem to reach the big mech, though, or somehow it had even made him more aroused as he lifted the yellow mech's hips up and slammed him down at the same time he thrust upward. The fragging spike was so huge that it hit the gestation tank with too much force Sunstreaker thought he was going to purge. The yellow mech screamed again, static filled his voice.

There were so much pain in his valve, and he could look down and see that his and the mech's thighs were covered in not only lubricants but also energon.  **His**  energon. His valve was ripped and he was bleeding so much and it hurt so  **bad**. "P-ple-pleas-" Sunstreaker moaned, mixing with both pleasure and pain. He didn't know what he was pleading for, truthfully. He wasn't sure whether he wanted the mech to stop or to frag him harder. He was hurt like  _frag_  yet he needed to get rid of the charge and he needed to  _fragging_  overload even if he bled to offline.

The big mech, also lost in his own lust, could only interpret Sunstreaker's plea as a pleasure one and drove his spike faster and harder into the bleeding valve.

* * *

Sideswipe had thought it was over.

He had thought that once he had reached the overload he needed the charge would be long gone. But his spike still stood tall and even his valve cover had snapped opened. It was never this  **bad**. He had never been this charged up. The red mech groaned in frustration, servos dove down once again in a desperate attempt to get himself another overload. He offlined his optics and let the imaginary Sunstreaker appeared in his processor again.

"Sunny..."

He groaned as he grabbed his spike in one servo, stroking it up and down as he imagined Sunstreaker was now riding it, a smug grinned ran across the beautiful faceplate and  _frag it_ , it made Sideswipe's frame even hotter. His valve was leaking and he let the task of pleasuring it to the other servo. Digits rubbed against the soft rim before one slid in and Sideswipe twitched at the intrusion. He rarely used his valve in interfacing and it felt really weird there, not bad though, but he was too charged up to even care. His servos felt good, but it wasn't enough. He wished Sunstreaker was  **really**  here, actually riding his spike with his wet and moist and all of the most wonderful adjectives Sideswipe could think of to describe his valve.

The red mech moaned at the imaginary Sunstreaker, at all the things he would do to him and he felt overload approaching him fast. It took him only a few cycles to reach another hard, wonderful overload with both of his spike and valve. Fluids from both of his interface parts covered his lower frame and the berth beneath. He wanted this to be over, he wanted the charge to cool down since his HUD was screaming at the low energon status and he didn't really want to imagine more of the dirty things he would do to Sunstreaker.

But his frame once again betrayed him as the charge was still there.

He kept self-servicing for what felt like megacycles with only Sunstreaker in his processor. He overloaded over and over again and he even started to feel ashamed as he kept imagining fragging Sunstreaker with every interfacing position he knew, kept thinking about all the inappropriate things he would do to the yellow mech.

In the end, it was the low energon status that had freed him from the annoying charge. His system, after sensing the energon threshold was at an alarming rate, automatically shut down as a way to protect itself from the stasis lock. His optics offlined, His sensor nodes offlined. His cooling fans swirling fast in an attempt to protect the frame from overheating and damaging its innards before ended up being offline themselves. The gladiator's frame fell flat onto the berth, motionless.

Only his spark pulsed silently under the red chassis.

* * *

Sunstreaker was hurt, badly.

The big mech now had him laying on his front as he slammed into him from behind. Sunstreaker buried his helm into the berth, denta gritted painfully and servos curled tight. He was sure his vocalizer was fried since he couldn't scream, or moan, or even make any sounds. But that didn't stop the dark blue mech to continuously frag him hard. His valve burned and hurt too much. Lubricants mixing with energon leaked down from his damaged valve to the berth below and it really made Sunstreaker unsettling. At this rate, he would need to have his valve replaced.

He didn't remember how many times had the big mech fragged him but he really didn't care right now. Although his valve hurt like slag, he still had some nice overloads so he really couldn't make any complaints. He was so full of transfluids and his tank felt like it was going to burst. Yet the enormous spike kept its merciless assault and hit the back of this valve every time it slammed in. He was hurt everywhere inside his frame, even his tank was in pain and he felt a purge coming. In one particular hard thrust, Sunstreaker couldn't take it anymore and he purged for real, threw up all of his remaining digested energon and maybe that fragging piece of mineral too. Because he started to feel the effect of the Opidium slowly fading away, letting his system rebooting and his self-consciousness was coming back. A wave of disgust and shame hit him hard and all he could do was offlining his optics and burying his face in his servos. He sobbed and screamed in silent as the pain from both of his valve and his spark invaded his frame.

_He was truly the most disgusting mech._

He had been violated. He had begged, had cried and sobbed like a weak, pathetic mech. What Sideswipe would say when he knew about this? Was he still good enough for him? In the end, he had lost so much energon that his system had to shut down. To Sunstreaker, it was the most merciful thing that ever happened to him. He lied unconscious on the berth while the mech behind him kept pounding into his used and broken valve.

* * *

_**Meanwhile, at The 'Illusionist'...** _

Ironhide looked at the glass of high-grade in his servo, conflicted thoughts invaded his processor. The bar was loud, crowded with mechs from both middle and upper-class circles in Kaon. They were chatting, arguing and fighting and drinking, either in celebration or just for the fun of it. On the stage, a black and white mech with a stripe of blue run down his chassis and a light blue visor on his faceplate was in charge of mixing the music for the bar. It was nice, in fact, it was brilliant, but not too many mechs really came here to enjoy the music. Even Ironhide came here just to drown his sorrow and confusion in the high-grade.

"That's your tenth glass, Ironhide."

A voice caused the old mech to lift his optics away from the glass. As soon as he realized who, Ironhide grunted and quickly finished his glass. Right after that, he ordered another one.

"Eleventh."

"What do you want, Prowl?" Ironhide scowled, snatching his drink from the white and blue bartender when he gave it to him.

The white Enforcer shook his helm and sat down next to Ironhide on a bar-stool, "Did something happen to Sideswipe?" he asked, knowing too well that almost all of Ironhide's problems were related to the young gladiator.

And he was right, as Ironhide turned to give Prowl a glare, but the white mech kept his determined and serious look, mixing with the concern for his old friend. Ironhide sighed, took a sip from the glass and silently nodded.

"What did he do this time?" Prowl asked.

Ironhide signed again, "Well... what didn't he do? That stupid glitch is in love, again."

"That's a shame. Bluestreak really has a big crush on him. But I take it it's not a mech you want him to fall for," Prowl said, signalling the bartender and order for himself a high-grade glass.

"Prowl, he's in love with a pleasure mech," Ironhide grunted.

Prowl shot the old Battlemaster a look. His usual inexpressive faceplate now colored in surprise, "A pleasure mech? Ironhide..."

"I fragging know what that means!" Ironhide slammed his glass on the bar hard, cut Prowl off from continuing, "I tried to talk to him, to convince him that it was a pleasure mech that almost ruined his life! But the slagger didn't listen!"

Prowl received his drink from the young bartender, nodding as a way to say thanks and then looking back at the venting old mech, "Ironhide, I'm speaking as an outsider and someone who has the ability to think straight better than the two of you..."

Ironhide glared at Prowl, but didn't say anything.

"...not all pleasure mechs are bad, Ironhide. And do you really think Sideswipe actually  **wants**  what happened to him happens again? Do you even  **trust**  him to make the right decisions?"

The old mech didn't answer, taking another sip of high-grade and looking down at the bar, "I don't know what to think, Prowl. I was sure that Sideswipe would get himself hurt again. I was aggressive, trying to knock some sense into that slagging CPU. But then I saw that pleasure mech..."

Prowl patiently waited for Ironhide to continue, slowly drinking his high-grade while blue optics fixing on the bartender who was now flirting with a customer with forest green paint job.

"...His designation is Sunstreaker, and he looks like Sideswipe a lot. Same-frame, like you and Bluestreak. Different paint job and some minor details, that's all. Could even have fooled anyone that they're brothers. And maybe that's why I felt...  **right**  when I looked at them. I saw how they interacted with each other and I had a sudden  **regret**  of ever thinking about separating them. But I'm worried about Sideswipe at the same time. I don't want him to get hurt again."

Prowl looked back at Ironhide and then at his glass of high-grade on the bar, "Tell me, Ironhide," he said after a couple of kliks, "Your glass of high-grade. Is it half-empty or half-full?"

The old mech grunted, "What is it? Some kind of test? I'm still not over-charged you know?"

"It's not a test. It's just about how you interpret happening events in your life. Not all things are good but not all things are bad, either. Although in Kaon, bad things tend to happen more often," the white mech stopped to look at the bartender, then continued, "You'll never find answers at the end of a high-grade glass. Sideswipe  **needs**  you more than both of you think so I suggest you clean up, get out and return to him. You guys need to talk, not yell at each other because I know that's how you two usually do things. You have to support him while making sure that Sunstreaker is  **actually**  good for him."

Ironhide looked at his glass, Prowl's words dancing in his processor. He remembered Sideswipe's rage and even his happiness when it came to Sunstreaker. He had watched the camera footage recording Sideswipe and Sunstreaker's activities in the closed quarter and they were too pure, too adorable that Ironhide actually felt bad for yelling at Sideswipe and calling Sunstreaker a whore.

 _"It is_ _**you** _ _who are being paranoid. You are the one who has troubles believing in other mechs. Why don't you try to open your spark to_ _**trust** _ _that Sunstreaker wouldn't hurt me? To see how happy I was when I was with_ _**him** _ _?"_

Sideswipe's words rang inside his CPU, reminding him that the young mech wasn't the only one who had problems. Ironhide hated to admit that he was right, though. Through stellar cycles he had tried to convince himself that Sideswipe was the paranoia one who needed assurances and lessons to know that not everyone wanted to hurt him.  _He was such a coward._  He had been running away, using his own adopted sparkling's problems to hide his. More than anyone else, he,  _too_ , needed an assurance that no mech could hurt his little sparkling. He didn't know if he should trust Sunstreaker. But Prowl was right, sitting here won't change anything, and it won't answer any questions he was having. Instead of letting Sideswipe by himself, he should have been there for him.

"Half-full. And let it be that way."

Ironhide finally replied and pushed the  _half-full_  glass of high-grade away from his servo. He stood up, left the Credits and turned around, heading out of the  _Illusionist_. Prowl looked at the glass, slightly chuckled and continued with his drink.

"You just made me lose a customer, you know that?"

The voice made the white mech to look up. It came from the young bartender, who was crossing his arms across his chestplate, "Now I can't clean up this drink," he said, "At least not until that old mech comes back."

"Never take you for the sentimental kind," Prowl commented, taking a sip. His optics carefully eyed the white and blue bartender.

"I can be if I want to. Besides, I don't think I have the spark to dump his  _optimism_  into the sink. I'll keep his drink half-full until he comes back, then," the mech chuckled, putting Ironhide's glass away. Prowl still carefully observed the mech, what he said next nearly made the Enforcer twitch.

"How are Scrapper and Hook?"

"Don't think you're interested."

"They trashed my place. Of course I'm interested," the young bartender smiled.

"They're in the brig. That's all," Prowl simply said.

The bartender hummed, optics looking at Prowl while the white mech's stared right back at him. There was something shady, weird, and suspicious about this bartender, about his relaxed and confident attitudes. He and Chromedome hadn't found anything Opidium-related in his bar and the bartender didn't have any criminal records. Yet something about him rubbed the Enforcer off the wrong way. Suddenly, Prowl's private comm link pinged and he sighed at the designation. The Enforcer turned around and spotted the mech who had been mixing music for the bar. He was grinning and waving a servo at him. Seriously, Prowl didn't even know how he had his comm link signature.

"He's interested in you, officer," the bartender smiled, "I take it you're receiving a comm from him?"

"No," Prowl said as he put a servo on his audial, answering the comm from the music mixing mech, "from a mech whose date is about to be rejected."

* * *

"Easy, Sunshine. You'll be fine. Your vitals are good and fully functional. Just take it easy."

Sunstreaker winced as he slowly onlined his optics, a familiar voice ringing in his audials. His screen refreshed a couple times before getting a clear image. Almost immediately after seeing Lockdown, Sunstreaker scowled and groaned in irritation.

"Does it offline you to show a little gratitude for the mech who had saved your life?"

Lockdown said but didn't look at Sunstreaker, his optics were busy fixing on the monitor next to the berth. The yellow mech turned to look at the black and green mech, then at the monitor. It showed his energon level, the status of his gestation tank, his spark's pulsing rate and information of his innards. Everything seemed to be normal. He then looked around and realized he was in a hospital's room, too brightly lit and covered in all white, it seemed to be Lockdown had brought him here after he...

Sunstreaker gasped and his spark ached as he remembered what had happened.

"Your gestation tank almost cracked, some of the wires in both of your legs needed replacing due to being over-strained and your vocalizer was damaged. Your valve was broken so the doctor had to replace them, too," Lockdown said in monotone, "The doctor said that your new valve needs time to adjust. He also made some modifications so that your valve will stretch better to take large spikes and endure rough interfacing without causing serious damages."

"Can you just  _fragging_  stop talking about my valve?"

Sunstreaker growled, frame shaken in anger. He felt violated, and Lockdown speaking about his valve like it was a simple object made him feel sick. This wasn't the first time he was sent to the hospital because of a valve damage, but it was definitely the worst time. It was not just his frame, his gestation tank, his vocalizer or his valve but also his pride and dignity were wounded because he had fragging  **enjoyed**  the rough interfacing. A sudden urge rose inside him. He really wanted to offline that mech, that fragger who had turned him into a disgusting and needy whore.

"Where is he?" the yellow mech sat up from the berth, ignoring the medical lines that were still plugged in his frame, "Where is that  **fragger**  so I can beat him into scraps and rip off his spike?"

"Sunstreaker, no," Lockdown turned to look at the yellow mech, "He left after he was done with you, alright? And I won't give away his designation."

" _After he was done with me_?" Sunstreaker gasped, "Lockdown, did you see all of it?  **Did you**? I know you have a fragging camera in my quarter, you sick glitch! You  **knew**! You  **saw**  what he did to me! He drugged me and fragged me against my will! He  **hurt**  me and you just sat there and  **watched**  until  _he was done with me_? You fragging pile of scraps, you are supposed to  **care**  about your employees!"

Lockdown, surprisingly, stayed silent under the yellow mech's raging output. He looked at Sunstreaker's monitor instead, focusing on the numbers and information of his vitals, away from his furious and hurt optics.

"I fragging  **begged**  him! I fragging begged him not to push that thing into my mouth! I cried and  **plead**  him not to do it and you just watched and did  **nothing**! I even thought of comming  **you**! I even thought of calling you for  **help**  and you just sat there watching me being violated on your slagging monitor!", Sunstreaker cried with shaken voice and static-filled optics.

Lockdown suddenly turned to look at the yellow mech. The yellow mech had been expecting the other mech to mock or activate his switch to make Sunstreaker shut up but Lockdown just stared at him with narrowed optics and unreadable faceplate.

"Why are you doing  **this**  to me?" Sunstreaker softened his voice, spark-breaking pain visible on his faceplate, "Why did you  **love**  me? Why did you show me how wonderful life could be if we were  **together**  and then in the end you did this to me? You tricked me and hurt me and threw me away. Did I mean so  **little**  to you? Have you ever, for even  **once** , loved me for  **real**?"

Lockdown didn't reply, optics looking down at the floor beneath. "Get out, I don't want to see you. Mock me or activate that fragging switch or do whatever you want later, I don't care. Do me a little favor for old time's sake and leave me alone for a few cycles," Sunstreaker lied back down on the berth, helm turning away from the black and green mech.

Lockdown silently looked at the yellow frame lying on the med berth. It took him a couple of cycles to turn away, heading towards the door. A few steps and he suddenly stopped, "The doctor said that your valve needs to adjust. So take two orns off for yourself. Go see Sideswipe if you want. Just no interfacing because your valve is still sensitive and your frame is in healing. And remember to return after two orns."

"What?" Sunstreaker grumbled, slightly turned to look at the black and green mech.

"Two orns. Do whatever you want. Go wherever you want. You can usually find Sideswipe at the Kaon Arena or  _The_   _Illusionist_. I'll send you the locations later. Although I think you still  **remember**  the way to the bar."

Lockdown continued to walk towards the door, "Sunstreaker, different mechs show their  **loves**  differently."

Then, the door shut tight as Lockdown left the room, leaving Sunstreaker alone and confused in the bright room. His spark felt too heavy, too much in distress and he couldn't feel his brother. He tried to press into the bond but his brother didn't response. Usually this meant his brother was in a deep recharge and Sunstreaker would wait until he woke up.

But he needed  **him**  right now. He needed an assurance, a consolation from his brother. He wanted to bath in his faceless brother's warmth and affection. Like they always did to each other. He also wanted to comm Ratchet, but too ashamed to let him know the truth.

And more than most, he wanted a red mech to lie next to him, to calm him down with his strong presence and with his witty charisma and gentleness, he would let him know everything was going to be alright.

_He wanted Sideswipe._


	5. A First

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sideswipe and Sunstreaker went on their first date. Prowl found a new lead on the smuggling case. Lockdown was in distress because of a troubled deal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Klik ~ a Cybertronian second
> 
> Cycle ~ a Cybertronian minute
> 
> Megacycle ~ a Cybertronian hour
> 
> Orn ~ a Cybertronain day
> 
> Quintun ~ a Cybertronian week
> 
> Diun ~ a Cybertronian month
> 
> Stellar cycle ~ a Cybertronian year

It was kind of embarrassing to let Ironhide see Sideswipe in his current state.

The first thing Sideswipe saw when he woke up from his unconsciousness was Ironhide's worried faceplate and an empty energon cube in his servo. The young gladiator groaned, checking his energon level to see that it was finally at an acceptable level. He sat up on the berth and widened his optics at the messy sight in front him, transfluids were everywhere, on the berth, on his interface parts and legs. The red mech let out an embarrassing groan before putting his offline spike back to its housing and shut both of interface panels tight. He wouldn't even want to look at Ironhide. They had fought and yelled at each other and the first time they met again Sideswipe was not in the most proper state.

His spark suddenly weighted too heavy and there were pain, regret, shame and even disgust rising inside him. Sideswipe tried to comfort his spark, thinking that  _yes_ , he did feel embarrassing for letting Ironhide see this but it was nothing too serious and it would going to be  _alright_. A servo pressed on his chassis, above the stressful spark, as if he was trying to reach into his frame to touch it. It took a moment but his spark had finally felt better, the sadness and the pain were still there but at least it didn't make Sideswipe want to offline himself anymore.

"Primus, when was the last time you actually got laid?"

Ironhide's voice made Sideswipe looked up. "Erm...," he really didn't know how to reply, considering that he saw a pleasure mech on an almost daily basis, and also the fact that Ironhide wouldn't be too thrilled knowing he might have interfaced with Sunstreaker, although in reality they hadn't exchanged any more intimate interactions other than kisses.

"I know you didn't get any from Sunstreaker," Ironhide suddenly grinned and Sideswipe almost thought he was still unconscious.

"What? How?"

"Lockdown showed me the camera footages of you and Sunstreaker. Helped me realized how boring you two are together," the old mech grinned lopsided and leaned closer to Sideswipe.

"Lockdown?" not exactly the mech Sideswipe was expecting, "But..."

"Sides, I'm  _sorry_ ," the old Battlemaster quickly cut Sideswipe off, helm titled down looking at the floor beneath, "I was scared of seeing you got hurt again so I acted like a glitch. You were  **right** , I was being paranoid and had problems trusting other mechs. But I'm willing to  **change**. I should have thought and cared more about your feelings. I finally saw how  **happy**  you were with Sunstreaker and you were right, he is  **different**."

"'Hide..." Sideswipe couldn't take his optics off the old mech nor believed what he had been hearing.

Ironhide looked up, "I met Prowl and he said that if I truly  **cared**  about you I should have  **trusted**  and supported your choices. Then I realized you weren't the little sparkling that running around causing mayhem around me anymore," he paused, chuckled at the memories of the little prankster called Sideswipe, "Sides, I want to support you, to  **trust**  you. But I also need to  **know**  that you aren't going to get yourself hurt again. Tell me, do you  **truly**  love Sunstreaker? Do you really think this isn't something that will make you  **regret**  later on?"

Sideswipe frowned at Ironhide's questions. Just about an orn ago, the old mech had been aggressive, yelling and chasing him, trying to stop him from seeing Sunstreaker. And now Sideswipe couldn't even recognize the mech sitting next to his berth. So gentle and understanding.

"I **love**  Sunstreaker," the gladiator stated firmly, optics fixed at the old faceplate of his Battlemaster, "I've never felt this  **strong**  towards any mech. And no mech had ever made me feel this comfortable, this  **good**. It feels like...," he stopped to look for a suitable description, "...it feels like our sparks pulse in a perfect sync. It feels like we always know what each other need and always try to provide it. It feels so  **close**  and so familiar that sometimes I think he's my family, like a  **brother**."

"You two do look like brothers," Ironhide smiled, "Although it's kind of a disturbing thought, considering how the two of you are getting close to get into each other's platings," the old mech stared at the mess on the berth and gave Sideswipe a teasing look.

Sideswipe gasped, "Ironhide! This...! I swear that I didn't think about anything inappropriate when it happened! I didn't even think about Sunstreaker, well, actually I did but not in  **that**  way! I was thinking about  **us**! Wait..."

"Now you just make it weird."

"No, no, no! That's not what I meant! Ugh, seriously, you and me? 'Hide, My spike is too perfect to be that desperate to look for a rusted spike," Sideswipe pointed a digit towards the old mech while feigning a disgusted face.

"If I hadn't adopted a glitching, annoying idiot with mood-swing, I would have mechs swarming around asking for my 'rusted spike' right now. It was a lot older and more experienced than yours so respect it."

"Now _you're_  making it weird."

Both mechs laughed, feeling the old, casual atmosphere returning to their shared apartment. Sideswipe also apologized to Ironhide for punching him and told him that he would like to try things out with Sunstreaker. The older mech accepted his wish with ease, so much more different than the angry, over-protective mech an orn ago. Although Ironhide did tell Sideswipe that if things went sideways, he would have to separate him and Sunstreaker. Sideswipe couldn't disagree with that. He trusted Sunstreaker, but some parts in him were still affected by the accident long ago. However, he was happy. Ironhide accepted his love for Sunstreaker and agreed to let them have a chance of being together. His spark still pulsed sadly and he didn't know why but he tried to reach it with the newly found joy, hopefully his spark would feel better.

"I'm glad we get to talk. Now go get some energon, Sides. You'll have another match in about five megacycles," Ironhide stood up, walking towards the door, "Oh and remember to clean up your berth. Just because we have just had a spark-to-spark talk doesn't mean I'll do that for you."

"I don't want you to touch my transfluid anyway," Sideswipe grinned, hopped off the berth, reaching for the cloth in his closet and started scrubbing his messy berth. Suddenly a question popped into his processor and he turned to look at the old mech who was about to leave his room.

"Wait, Lockdown has a camera in Sunstreaker's room?"

* * *

_**Morning come. At the Kaon Enforcers HQ...** _

Prowl had been growing restless.

He kept checking on all of the information stored in the intranet of the HQ over and over again. Criminal records and unsolved cases even from before he had been transferred from Praxus to Kaon. Some were, curiously, heavily classified and seemingly only the Head Enforcer and members of City Council were authorized to access them. These included records of some of the mechs and the information about Opidium was also very limited. There weren't even any reports about Opidium smuggling even though Prowl knew it was happening right under his nose now.

And then there were records of all of the gladiators. Very intriguing.

Sideswipe's record, for example, only showed the list of his battles, both wins and losses, no other critical information, even the  **one**  that Prowl had believed it should have been in there, and some of his basic information including-

"Sideswipe is originally from  **Iacon**?"

"Oh dear Primus, stop sneaking up on me while I'm working, Bluestreak!"

Prowl scowled and quickly turned off Sideswipe's record on his monitor. The young Enforcer tilted his helm, not knowing what the fuss was all about. " **Yes** , Sideswipe came from Iacon and so did Ironhide. Ironhide adopted and raised him in Iacon before he was transferred to Kaon. Now, what is it, Bluestreak?" Prowl sighed and turned to look at the younger mech.

"I received an email from Smokey," Bluestreak said, almost in an unusual timid tone, "He said he missed me."

The white mech didn't know why mechs around him suddenly had some kind of problems and always came seeking him for advises and consolations or at least letting him see them being troubled, like with Ironhide. Chromedome often teased him for being an emotionless prick and yet at the same time told him that he was a good listener and always gave the right advises. By right, he probably meant "logical".

"You'll see your cousin again soon, Blue," Prowl said. He really wanted to help Bluestreak but at the same time he wanted to continue with his work.

"I miss him, too, Prowl."

The young mech said with sadness filled his optics. It was not his choice to be moved to Kaon, especially when his cousin had to stay in Praxus. Prowl knew how close the two were. Smokescreen, or Smokey as Bluestreak used to call, was famous as a compulsive gambler, and yet he joined the Enforcers just to take care of his cousin, that didn't mean he would kiss goodbye to his hobby anytime soon, though. Bluestreak used to tell Prowl and Chromedome how funny and kind Smokescreen was, and at the same time expressed his longing to return to Praxus. Both of the older Enforcers knew how dangerous Kaon was, especially for a young and inexperienced mech who was used to be sheltered by his cousin.

"Blue, you'll see your cousin again soon, I promise. After we're done with this Opidium smuggling case I'll have a talk with the Chief and help you returning to Praxus. So can we please return to work and push the case forward?"

"You would do that?" the younger mech's optics brightened in happiness.

"Yes, now can you pass me those datapads?" Prowl nodded and pointed towards a stock of datapads on a desk nearby.

Bluestreak smiled, repeatedly nodding his helm and quickly did as Prowl said. The white mech sighed and continued to surf the intranet. Suddenly, he heard Bluestreak asking questions again, "Oh, I saw Scrapper and Hook a couple of cycles ago. It seemed to be the Chief had released them from the brig. Not sure if it's a good idea. Didn't you and Chromedome request for a permission to extract data from them?"

"What?" Prowl turned to look at Bluestreak immediately, "He released them? They told us that  **someone**  had slipped Opidium in their drinks and he bought it?"

The younger mech took a step backward, feeling a bit uneasy with Prowl's questions, "Ye-yes? I don't know! Nobody tells me anything! I just saw them walking out of the HQ and nobody seemed to care!"

"Oh Primus...! Everybody in this place is out of their processor!" the white mech slammed his fist on the desk, "We could't find anything neither in  _The_   _Illusionist_  nor from that slagging bartender. They are the only clues to find out about the Opidium smuggler and he let them go!"

"Erm... not quite."

"What?" Prowl turned to look at the timid young mech.

"The bartender. When I first chatted with him, I told him that I felt sorry for his place. And I told him the story of my first task in Praxus was to solve a bar brawl and then I said that I didn't like high-grade because it could lead to accidents like this and-"

"-get to the point, Bluestreak," Prowl snapped.

"-and then we talked some more about the chance they were drugged and the bartender said that  _he didn't think the constructicons had enough Credits to afford Opidium_  and I don't think he was supposed to say that because immediately after that he seemed to be regretted and changed topics to how long I had been with the Enforcers and then I-" Bluestreak ranted, almost shrieking.

"Wait, Bluestreak, stop. He said that he didn't think the constructicons had enough Credits to afford Opidium?" Prowl raised a servo to stop the young mech.

"Yes!"

"Why didn't you tell me or Chromedome about this?"

"Because after that you kept giving me tasks away from you guys and I totally forgot after that! I'm so sorry I should have reported this but I was distracted by the traffic maintaining task you gave me and then came Smokey's emails and I kept missing him I couldn't-"

"Shh, it's okay, it's alright, Blue," Prowl stood up and put a servo on the younger mech's shoulder, "You are a genius, you know that? You confused him. We didn't tell him anything about Opidium, he was supposed to think that this was just a simple bar brawl."

Not to mention the way he talked about those constructicons, it seemed to be that he knew about their financial status pretty well. Prowl patted Bluestreak's shoulder as a compliment and immediately commed his partner,  _::Chromedome, wrapping up your task at the main road and be ready to meet me at The Illusionist by night. We need to have a chat with the bartender::_  and then he turned to the young Enforcer standing next to him, "You too, Bluestreak. Get ready, tonight we're going to hit a bar."

* * *

_**At the same time, at the Kaon Arena...** _

A new orn, a new challenger.

So far none of the new challengers had given Sideswipe a hard time, especially when he was in good mood. Just as  _now_. The red mech grinned in victory and self-satisfaction as he stepped onto the challenger's chestplate, forcing him to obediently lie down on the hard ground and pressed his energon blade to his neck. Without any words, knowing well the Arena's rules, the challenger yielded and Sideswipe let go of him, turning away and pumping a fist into the air like he usually did after each victory. The crowd went wild, too satisfied with their favourite gladiator's performance. Sideswipe stepped into the observation area in the backstage and greeted Ironhide with a lopsided grin and a hit on his shoulder. The old mech laughed and wrapped an arm around his adopted sparkling's shoulder.

"You did well, as usual. And you look good," Ironhide said, referring to Sideswipe's happy faceplate and perfect fighting.

"I feel good, too," Sideswipe replied.

"Keep this up and you may even win first prize in the  _Cybertron Grand Tournament_ ," Ironhide laughed.

"You know I'm not interested in entering that tournament."

Ironhide couldn't help but frowned at the red mech's response. The Cybertron Grand Tournament, or CGT for short, was the arena of all of the gladiators in Cybertron. It happened once every two stellar cycles and any gladiators could enter it, but the competition was fierce and not all had confidence to just simply register their designations and go with it. Sideswipe had tried to enter it once during his first stellar cycles as a gladiator. Too cocky and arrogant with his winning streak in Kaon, Sideswipe had been eliminated in the first round of the CGT and he had nearly offlined since the mech had been too stubborn to say  _'I yield'_. In the next two stellar cycles, Sideswipe had entered the tournament again with the determination of retrieving his pride. But like last time, he had been knocked out from the first round and that time, he had to come home with insults and mocking that he bore with the rest of his life. Ironhide saw how much Sideswipe had improved throughout the stellar cycles but maybe that battle still scarred his pride and confidence beyond the Battlemaster's imaginations.

"Well, you're going to see Sunstreaker now, right?" Ironhide let go of Sideswipe's shoulder and asked, trying to change the subject.

The smile on Sideswipe's faceplate slowly vanished and he shook his helm, "I guess not. I've checked in with the  _Nuts 'n' Screws_  but Lockdown said that Sunstreaker would be unavailable for at least two orns."

"Unavailable? What did that mean?"

Before Sideswipe could answer the pair was approached by a mech that they recognized as one of the security guards of the Arena, "Sideswipe? Someone wants to see you. Never seen him here before but he kept saying he was your  _friend_. He even tried to punch me when I told him he was lying."

_Why did that sound like a certain mech that Sideswipe knew?_

Both of the red mechs curiously looked at each other before Sideswipe said, "Can you take me to him? And how does he look?"

The mech signaled both of the red mechs to follow him. He replied as he led them out of the Arena, "Pretty. But rude."

_Sounded very familiar._

As soon as they went out of the Arena, Sideswipe immediately spotted a yellow mech with sulky and irritated faceplate like a sparkling who was forced to sit in a corner, two security guards standing by his side as if to make sure that he wouldn't cause any troubles. The young gladiator couldn't help but laugh at the scene. He turned to look at the security mech standing next to him and nodded, a way to say that that  _pretty-but-rude_  mech was actually his friend. The security mech sighed and walked away, the other two guards who were standing next to the yellow mech also left soon after that.

"Hey, Sunny," Sideswipe waved a servo and ran toward the sullen mech. The yellow mech gave him a scowl, then mumbled back, "Hey."

"Why are you here?" Sideswipe grinned, a servo gently touched the yellow shoulder. Ironhide had also walked towards the young mechs, keeping a friendly smile on his faceplate. Sunstreaker slightly stiffened as he saw the old mech, but Sideswipe quickly reassured him, "Don't worry, that's Ironhide, my caretaker and Battlemaster. He...," he stopped a little to look at the old mech, "...he knows about us and he accepts us."

"Glad to finally meet you in person. Sideswipe had been helm over pedes for you and it was getting annoying," Ironhide laughed.

Sunstreaker quickly looked at Sideswipe and then at Ironhide. Slowly, he nodded and softened his frame. "Not the most talkative mech, I see," Ironhide commented, bearing no mocks or ill will in his words.

"Why are you here, Sunny?" Sideswipe repeated the question again. He was happy to meet Sunstreaker outside of the  _Nuts 'n' Screws_  but he was curious as well. Didn't Lockdown tell him that Sunstreaker was unavailable for at least two orns?

"An accident," Sunstreaker replied, optics looked down at the ground and Sideswipe suddenly felt a wave of sadness rolled into his spark, "Violent client and rough interfacing," Sunstreaker continued, voice getting smaller and smaller, as if he was ashamed of telling Sideswipe, "He hurt me. Pretty bad. I had to replace my...," he stopped, looking at Ironhide for a while, "...my interface part. Lockdown gave me two orns off for my frame to fully heal."

"Oh, Sunny," Sideswipe sighed and pulled the yellow mech into a tight hug. His spark ached as he imagined the pain Sunstreaker had gone through. This frame, this strong, graceful and beautiful frame. How could someone have the spark to break this frame that Sideswipe adored so much? The red mech felt angry, at the unknown mech that had injured Sunstreaker, at himself for being so oblivious and unable to help him, "Do you know who he was?" Sideswipe asked. He would seriously be ready to meet this mech and have a little "talk" with him if he learned his designation.

"No. It doesn't matter. Just let it go," Sunstreaker sighed heavily, "I... I just want to spend my two orns off with you, if that's alright."

"You can ask me anything, Sunny," Sideswipe smiled, trying to comfort the yellow mech and whispering to himself that he would do anything to help him recovering from the memories of the abusive client.

Although Ironhide still had doubts about Sideswipe's new-found love, his interactions with Sunstreaker somehow made the old mech feel  _right_ , as if they really belonged to each other. The old mech had heard stories about same-frame mechs and how they usually ended up being together. But what if Sunstreaker was lying? What if the yellow mech intended to hurt Sideswipe? Ironhide wondered if he should follow the two young mechs from afar, just to make sure nothing bad would happen.

Sideswipe would understand him, wouldn't he?

 _No!_  Ironhide scolded himself. He remembered Prowl's words and his wish to change himself. He had to trust Sideswipe and support him, to let go of his own paranoid if he really wanted to  _change_. Sideswipe might act like an idiot but he was truly not. Ironhide wouldn't be able to hide from the young mech if he followed him. And Sideswipe would be hurt knowing his caretaker didn't trust him well enough.

 _There are other discreet ways to protect Sideswipe_ , Ironhide told himself.

"Okay, you two love bots," Ironhide stepped closer to the young mechs, "I'm gonna go home first. You two go out and try to have some fun together, alright?" Suddenly, he pulled Sideswipe close and whispered into his audial, "Listen, if there is  **anything** , comm me immediately, okay?"

After that, he quickly transformed and drove away. Sideswipe looked after his caretaker before returning his attention to the yellow mech, smiling and wrapping a servo around his, "C'mon, there are some places I want you to check out."

Sunstreaker looked at the red mech and could feel that he was trying to cheer him up. His spark pulsed in a silent bliss from a wave of consolation and love that just scrolled into his system. Sideswipe was  _here_ , caring for him and cheering him up. His brother was also  _here_ , continuously sending his comfort and affection towards him through their twins bond. After all the pain and distress, Sunstreaker bathed in the love from both mechs that meant the world to him.

He smiled, and gripped Sideswipe's servo tighter, feeling the pain slowly being lift away from his spark.

* * *

_**Nightfall, at The Illusionist...** _

"Long time no see, Lockdown. What got you to get down here?"

Dino - the white and blue bartender - smirked as he saw a familiar faceplate walked into his bar. Lockdown groaned and dropped down at the bar-stool, "Business gone bad."

"With the brothel?"

Lockdown stayed silent for a while before ordered a glass of high-grade and replied, "With everything more like."

"Sounds serious. And here I was thinking your business was just about the brothel. New branches I suppose?" Dino grinned, gently put down the high-grade glass onto the bar table in front of the customer.

Lockdown gave him a glare, then took a sip from his glass, "I'm not here to blab about my works for a bartender who is over-confident with his flawed  **disguise**."

The bartender still kept his smirk, but the optics had lost its playfulness and in its place was a shade of cautiousness. "Just as I though. You're not as good as you think you are,  **Mirage** ," Lockdown let out a small laugh. The bartender seemed to flinch for half a klik when he heard his  _real_  designation.

Suddenly, the bar's door opened again and a huge mech with dark blue paint job walked in, approaching Lockdown and sitting next to him. Mirage politely nodded at the new customer before taking his order, optics shifted away from the black and green mech.

After Mirage went away, Lockdown turned to look at the mech, "You broke the deal."

"The deal was I got one night with  **him**  for free, and you got your test on the effect of the mineral. Don't see where I broke it," the mech grinned and looked back at him, lowered his voice for only Lockdown to hear.

"Hurting  **him**  wasn't in our deal," Lockdown growled, irritation filled his voice.

"But he still had a great night, didn't he?" the mech laughed, "Beside, I did test the mineral, just as you wanted me to."

"You were supposed to test it on him only, to see if it worked, not using it on  **yourself** , too. You know the possibility of losing self-control happens," Lockdown grunted, "And I had to pay loads of Credits to shut the doctor who examined him up. That slagger's found traces of Opidium in him."

"Look, leave the  **doctor**  to me, alright? I have a  **better**  way to deal with him," the mech laughed and stopped to receive his drink from Mirage, then continued, "And... seriously, from the look of it, never thought you care about that pleasure mech."

After the bartender went away to tend for another customer, Lockdown continued, helm tilted down, "More than any mech knows."

"You do realize he'll  **never**  forgive you, right? You did trick him and treat him like slag after all," the mech laughed, "Well, not my concern anyway. I hope the data you collected proves useful for our  _partnership_  to work."

Lockdown looked at his glass, processor weighted heavy on the mech's words. He already knew and accepted that Sunstreaker would never forgive him for what he had done, and he had expected him to hate him, to want to offline him even. He remembered the yellow mech's spark-breaking faceplate and his cries and demands to know why Lockdown ever loved him and it made Lockdown's spark felt like it was going to burst. He looked around the bar, spotting a forest green mech sitting not far from him and Mirage was flirting with him. After making sure that the shady bartender didn't pay attention to him, Lockdown looked back at the big mech.

"The test worked, but I'm going to need a _larger_  dose," Lockdown said, trying to shake away Sunstreaker's hauntingly sadness.

"If you have the Credits then it can easily be arranged," the mech finished his drink, slammed the Credits on the table and stood up, "I'll contact you later about the details," then, he left the bar.

The black and green mech pondered on the words, on everything had happened _. Sometimes mechs got to do what they got to do._ He told himself, optics looking at the now-empty glass. After a while, he, too, stood up and paid the drink and left the bar, only stopped for a moment to step aside for three mechs to enter; two same-frame mechs, their models suggested that they came from Praxus, the other wore orange mask and yellow visor.  _Enforcers?_  He thought as he noticed the symbol on their shoulders.

The Enforcers walked towards Mirage and started talking to him. The bartender still kept the polite smile on his faceplate, answering all of their questions with a too-confident attitude. Lockdown then noticed he wasn't the only one keeping watched as he felt a pair of optics focusing on him. The black and green mech turned around to spot the music mixer of the bar. He slyly grinned at him and then turned away, continued with his work on the stage.

Lockdown knew that he should leave this place, quickly.

* * *

Kaon wasn't the most ideal place to live but there were still some places that Sideswipe particularly liked.

One of them was the construction site far away from the center of the city, from the miserable lives of lower-class mechs and ignorance from those in the middle and higher circles. Whatever the City council intended to build, it was going to be big since the site was huge and isolated, too. Normally, not many mechs were allowed to go here, only those involved in the project. But the constructicons knew Sideswipe well, especially when he slipped into their servos a few Credits when he found out how wonderful this place was and wanted to turn it into his secret sanctuary. Of course he wasn't allowed to touch or take anything from the site, but those weren't his intentions anyway. He had his optics on the roads surrounding the enormous land. The long, wide, and most importantly,  _untouched_ , deserted roads. So when the orn was about to end and the constructicons had left the site, Sideswipe came to this place and let his engine roared as freely and loudly as he wanted. On these roads he could drive as fast as he desired, feeling the strong wind against his platings as many times as he could without any mechs or obstacles to slow him down. On these roads he could let himself go, losing in thoughts and dreams, temporary away from the battles, the challengers, and away from his mood-swing. Before he met Sunstreaker, he had thought a drive around these roads was enough to chase away all of the burdens in his spark.

Sunstreaker had proved him wrong.

Because now when the night had fallen, when he looked at the yellow vehicle driving in front him on these roads around the construction site, all of the mood-swing, the tiring, troubling thoughts, all of them had been pushing away by the edgy, graceful car with shiny and perfect paint job. Sunstreaker carried the same Alt mode as his; even his speed seemed to be as fast as his. Yellow and red, primary colors without any contrast, shining under the starlight, driving side by side on the deserted roads, away from the optics of the Kaon citizens, away from restless orns and annoying challengers and unwanted clients.

_::Hey, Sideswipe. Wanna race?::_

Sunstreaker's unusual happy tone made Sideswipe let out a laugh,  _::Thought you're too afraid to ask,::_  he said, then started to rev up his engine.

 _::I'm just afraid of hurting your pride, that's all,::_  Sunstreaker replied, engine roared loud as he sped up,  _::Whoever loses has to buy the other drinks::_

_::Then I guess I can't lose then::_

Sideswipe laughed. Both cars had tremendously sped up, running and turning and steering with incredible speed and skills, doing things they wouldn't be able to do in the city. Driving fast and dangerous just the way they both liked it, feeling the winds wrapping around in strong embraces as if to encourage them to go even faster.

 _::Are you really that afraid to lose Credits?::_  Sunstreaker suddenly asked with a mocking tone.

 _::It's not just about Credits. Remember when we first met, I told you that I should get myself wasted to have you seduced me?::_  Sideswipe replied, turning around a corner and quickly drove past the yellow car,  _::I'm intending to do that while having you paying for my drinks::_

 _::You do realize if you are really wasted on high-grade I'll just dump you on a nearby berth and leave you there to rot?::_  the yellow car sped up and once again drove beside the red one.

 _::You wouldn't do that!::_  Sideswipe gasped, pretending to be hurt by the yellow mech's words.

_::You know I would::_

_::Yeah, you definitely would do that::_  Sideswipe laughed, tires span faster as the red car sped up, leaving the yellow one behind,  _::Then I guess I have to seduce you first::_

_::What?::_

Sideswipe didn't reply but suddenly transformed into his root mode, rolled on the ground a full circle before he could stop and stand in front of the yellow car that was driving towards him with top speed.  _::Sideswipe, what the frag?::_ , surprised at the sudden move, Sunstreaker quickly stopped and transformed before he could slam into the red mech. But the high momentum had failed his attempt to hold himself back and instead shoved him towards Sideswipe. Sunstreaker could see Sideswipe was smirking and opening his arms wide as if he was waiting to catch him.

And he did.

Sunstreaker slammed hard into the red mech's opened arms, faceplates almost smashed into each other and the yellow mech could feel those strong red and white arms wrapping around him tight. The force had caused Sideswipe to fall backward and both of them rolling on the hard, dusty ground a couple of circles before they could actually stop. Sunstreaker groaned in pain and a bit of irritation while Sideswipe laughed, "That was fun!"

The yellow mech glared at the gladiator who was now lying on top of him, covering his frame with his red one, Sideswipe's servos lying on either of his sides and their limbs entwined with each other, "What the frag, Sideswipe? Is that your definition of 'seduce'?"

"C'mon, that was fun! A bit hurt, though, but it was fun!"

"Fun? Aw, scrap, my paint is scratched...," Sunstreaker whined as he looked at his chassis and some yellow paint sticking on Sideswipe's red frame. He suddenly hissed as he felt pain ran down his legs. Noticing Sunstreaker's unpleasant sound, Sideswipe frowned, suddenly remembered the yellow mech's frame was still in healing from the rough interfacing, he quickly asked, "Did-did I hurt you?"

"No," Sunstreaker sighed, feeling the pain in his legs slowly died down, "It's alright. I'm glad I got to get out of that place and my frame needs exercising anyway."

Sideswipe kept his blue optics locked onto Sunstreaker's faceplate, worries colored them. "I'm serious," the yellow mech tried to reassure him. The gladiator sighed, staring into the almost identical optics, and a sudden thought appeared in his processor. He was lying on top of Sunstreaker, a position he had done once before but not in the most pleasant way. He had tried to hurt the yellow mech that time, in fear and memories of the past accident with an old lover. Their chassis were too close to each other, Sideswipe could even feel Sunstreaker's pulsing spark and he was sure the yellow mech could also feel his.

_Then he remembered the last time he let a mech this close to his spark..._

"It's alright," Sunstreaker suddenly said, as if feeling Sideswipe's uneasiness, a servo gently touched the red mech's shoulder, "It's alright. I'm  _not_  going to hurt you, or your spark."

The red mech shivered at the tender touch, he rested his forehelm against Sunstreaker's, the tips of their noses slightly touched each other, "No, you won't. You aren't  **him**. You are  **different**."

"And you're different from  **him** , too," Sunstreaker inhaled softly, bathed in the sense of the gladiator.

"I want to move forward. I want to let  **him**  go. I want you to let  **him**  go, too, whoever had hurt you," Sideswipe whispered.

"The hardest part is always about  **letting go** , right?" Sunstreaker's lips slightly curved.

"We can try.  **Together** ," answered Sideswipe. Leaned closer to the other mech's faceplate, "Can I... can I kiss you?"

Sunstreaker replied with silence. His processor was crowded with uncertainty and fear of the unknown consequences, yet his spark pulsed in an acceptance, in wanting and desire of a life-long relationship. He had made a mistake by loving Lockdown, by giving him everything he got. Lockdown had used to make him feel good, used to be his friend, even considered of becoming bondmate with him, caring and seemingly loving him back. That was until he had tricked him, tricked his own lover to become a pleasure mech to gain his own profit. On that orn Sunstreaker had decided he would never let his spark belong to anyone else.

But Sideswipe had proved him wrong.

Sideswipe and Lockdown were too much alike. But there was a belief deep inside Sunstreaker that the red mech was  **truly**  different, and he would never do anything to hurt him like what Lockdown had done. Sunstreaker remembered Sideswipe's outrage and their one-time fight, and his struggling and longing for a familiar red gladiator in three orns later. And then his  _kiss_ , the first intimate kiss they had ever had with each other had signaled the end of a short-time friendship to start something anew, something even more intimate and closer.

But that could only happen if Sunstreaker  _let Lockdown go_.

The young gladiator still patiently waited for the yellow mech's response, even for a sign showing if Sunstreaker wanted him to get off his frame, or if he was uncomfortable with the suggestion. But Sunstreaker, as hard to predict as ever, leaned forward to press his lips against Sideswipe's, tenderly and slowly as he tasted the dust and refine high-grade on the red mech's lips, "Yes," he said, in a strangely soft and low voice, almost too hard to hear.

That was all Sideswipe could take. He had the most gorgeous mech lying under him, touching him and kissing him, wanting him as much as he wanted him. Sunstreaker's approval was not just about a simple kiss, but Sideswipe could see it meant so much more. Sideswipe could see his longing for a relationship, his desire to love and be loved almost as identical as his, and he knew Sunstreaker wanted to  **let go**  as much as he did. He pressed his lips against the yellow mech's. Lips caressing each other before the gladiator deepened the kiss. His glossa ran across Sunstreaker's lower lip demanding to get inside. And the yellow mech opened his mouth, welcoming the intruding glossa as it explored inside. Sideswipe's servos found their ways on Sunstreaker's hips, while the yellow mech's arms now wrapping around the gladiator's waist. Glossas tangled with each other as they exchanged soundless breaths and moans. Since Sunstreaker wasn't thrilled with the idea of letting Sideswipe do all the works and Sideswipe had always preferred to be the dominant partner in a relationship, their kiss, started as slow and sensual, had become a battle for dominance as glossas being their front-line soldiers, drawing out each other's most wonderful and lustful moan.

Sunstreaker was the one to broke their kiss when he felt Sideswipe's wandering servo had moved down and gently touched his codpiece, "Sides... no, it hasn't fully healed there yet."

There was an unspoken apology in Sideswipe's optics as he looked at the yellow mech. And there came a sudden rage inside him as he remembered what Sunstreaker had gone through, and he really intended to find out who the mech that had hurt his soon-to-be lover and teach him a lesson. But right now, Sunstreaker needed him as much as he did, and Sideswipe knew just the thing...

"Don't worry," Sideswipe smiled, planted a kiss upon the yellow mech's nose, "It's going to be  _alright_. Just lie still and relax, please?"

Sunstreaker was curious at the red mech's words, but lying still as he was instructed and relaxed into Sideswipe's touches and kisses on his faceplate. Slowly, Sideswipe moved down, embracing the beautiful frame he had desired so much with light kisses and touches that made the yellow mech gasping and twitching. The gladiator suddenly remembered the orn he had received an unbearable charge in all of sudden and his megacycles of self-servicing with Sunstreaker in his processor. His spike pressurized at the memories, budging against his codpiece. He tried to ease his charge down, though, since he knew Sunstreaker should be one receiving all of the attention tonight, to have his pain from the rough interfacing erased under the red mech's reassuring kisses and touches.

"Don't worry, Sunny. Open for me, please?" Sideswipe smiled as he had moved down to Sunstreaker's lower frame, "I won't hurt you. It's going to be  _alright_. Do you trust me?"

Sunstreaker stared at the red mech, charge was building inside him slowly and he had never felt this comfortable. No other clients, even those he considered as being kind as they had always tried to make sure Sunstreaker feel good in berth too, had succeeded in turning into a melting, needy mech like Sideswipe. Without the switch, the code, the high-grade, or that fragging piece of Opidium. "Y-yes," Sunstreaker gasped, "I trust you." He spread his legs wider and let both of his interface covers slid up for Sideswipe to see for the first time, revealing a semi-pressurized spike and a wet, newly installed, untouched and virginal valve, yearning for attention.

"Primus," Sideswipe whispered, "You're so beautiful." More beautiful than anything Sideswipe had ever fantasized of. He had dreamed of having that valve wrapping around his spike, or even his mouth on that beautiful yellow spike. Couldn't hold himself off anymore under the sight of the needy Sunstreaker with spread legs, Sideswipe let his spike spring out of his housing. He leaned forward, gave Sunstreaker's spike a lick while running a digit on the rims of his valve. The touch and the lick made the yellow mech flinched, but Sideswipe quickly reassured him, "It's going to be  _alright_ , Sunny. I promise that you will feel very good."

Sunstreaker nodded, calming his spark down and persuading it to trust Sideswipe. He started to lose himself in charge and missed out the fact that on the other side of the twins bond, his twin was also feeling horny. Maybe he did, but he would just assume that it was him that caused his brother to feel like that. Sunstreaker's attention temporary lift away from the concern for his brother, he gasped instead as he felt Sideswipe's digits playing with his spike, helping it getting fully pressurized. But the red mech didn't stop there, his glossa had moved down to cherished Sunstreaker's leaking valve and the yellow mech was sure that it even felt more sensitive than before, probably because it was new and hadn't been touched by anyone, even himself.

Sideswipe was the first to touch his new valve and it made Sunstreaker felt like a virgin again. His spark fluttered at the thought and the relief that Sideswipe had touched him in his purest state, and for the moment he could believe that this frame would be good enough for the red mech. But then again, discomfort invaded his spark as he remembered Lockdown had been the first mech to enter him, and where had that led him to?

 _No, Sideswipe wouldn't... he was_ _**different** _ _._

"Sides!" Sunstreaker gasped and his frame twitched suddenly as Sideswipe nipped his valve's folds and gently pushed them aside with his glossa. The yellow mech used a servo to reach the black helm, digits slowly rubbing the audial horns as he threw his own helm backward and lost in moans and gasps as he felt the glossa entering his valve.

Sideswipe vented heavily under Sunstreaker's simulated touch on his audial horns and dipped his glossa deeper into the tight valve, feeling its soft walls clasping around. He pumped his servo up and down on the yellow spike, feeling it throbbing in wants and lust just as much as his own spike, which was too being wrapped by his other servo. Sunstreaker tasted so wonderful, more than anything Sideswipe could dream or even ask for. His glossa wiggled around, tried to reach as many of the sensor nodes inside the valve as he could, tried to get more sounds from the yellow mech. His spike was getting too hard and he needed an overload, he wanted to feel this wonderfully tight valve wrapping around it as it shot transfluid deep into the yellow mech. But he knew he would hurt Sunstreaker if he did that, unless...

The gladiator pulled his glossa out of the clenching valve and licked around its rim, leaving a trait of lubricants and oral fluids on its way. "I want you so much,..." Sideswipe said as he leaned forward so that he was now facing the yellow mech, staring into the dimly lit cerulean optics, his spike almost touched the quivering valve.

"Sides..." Sunstreaker mumbled, as if trying to remind Sideswipe and even himself of his current in-healing status. Because he, too, needed an overload so bad, if Sideswipe started to penetrate him he would honestly have no protests.

"I know, Sunny. It's going to be  _alright_...," Sideswipe smiled and bowed down to kiss the slightly parted lips, "...Just relax."

After making sure that Sunstreaker didn't show any discomfort, Sideswipe let his servos grabbed the yellow mech's hips to keep him lying still. Slowly, he let his spike rubbing against the opened valve while his darkened optics still locked onto the other's, be ready to stop at any moment Sunstreaker wanted to. But the yellow mech didn't protest, he gasped as he felt Sideswipe's spike against his too-wet and needy valve, didn't enter him but just rub it up and down with increasing speed. Almost immediately, Sunstreaker spread his legs even wider, to have his valve exposed more to the red spike, and wrapped his arms around the Sideswipe's neck to pull him down to a denta-clashing kiss. He even tried to move his hips but Sideswipe's servos kept their firm grip that could only make him growl in irritation.

They both moaned into the kiss, both wanted so much more from the other and both tried so hard to hold themselves off. Sideswipe was now moving so fast that Sunstreaker felt like his valve was burning, it was throbbing and clenching and desperately wanting to milk that teasing spike dry. Oh how much Sideswipe wanted to penetrate that virginal valve yearning for only him and how much Sunstreaker wanted the red mech to fragging spike him hard and fast. But in the end it was just a spike rubbing against a valve and the love, the trust and the affection was enough to cause both mechs to cry in an inevitable mind-blowing overload. As Sideswipe felt his overload was getting near, he leaned back. A servo left Sunstreaker's hips and found its way back to stroke the red throbbing spike and lined it towards the dripping valve. Knowing what Sideswipe was going to do, Sunstreaker moaned at the though and his servos wandered to his lower frame, using two digits to spread his valve wide opened while the other servo played with his own spike. Gasping at the erotic sight, Sideswipe couldn't hold himself off anymore and overloaded. His transfluid escaped the tip of his spike and shot into the gap of the spread valve. Sunstreaker cried as he felt Sideswipe's fluids, hot and wet and incredibly arousing, at his most sensitive part. He cycled his valve and also overloaded his spike immediately after, feeling his fluids flooding out, mixing with Sideswipe's transfluid and leaking into the opened, hungrily clenching valve that was eagerly welcoming them and onto the hard ground beneath.

Sideswipe lied down on top of Sunstreaker, venting heavily as he wrapped his sense and warmth around the yellow mech. Sunstreaker didn't fare any better, ventilation and cooling fans swirling fast to calm the overload down, his arms wrapping around Sideswipe's waist in a loose embrace, optics temporary offlined and lips parted. "That was...," Sideswipe was the one to speak up first, "...that was really  _great_."

Sunstreaker didn't reply, slowing onlining his optics to look at the blissful faceplate of the mech above him. Sideswipe smiled, "Not bad for the first date, right?"

"First date?" the yellow mech grumbled.

"Uh-huh," Sideswipe nodded, peppered Sunstreaker's tired yet content faceplate with light kisses, "Is this good enough for you?"

Sunstreaker mumbled something Sideswipe couldn't hear clearly. But the yellow mech sighed and nodded. The red mech chuckled, nuzzled his helm against Sunstreaker's neck and earned a disapproving growl from the other mech. "You're heavy. Get off me, fat-aft," Sunstreaker grunted, slightly pushed Sideswipe off him. The red mech laughed and complied, rolling off and lying down next to him. After closing their interface covers, both mechs laid in silence on the ground for cycles, maybe for a megacycle, optics staring into the stars-filled sky. Then Sunstreaker turned to look at Sideswipe and said, "What now?"

The red mech also turned to look back at him, "It's up to you, Sunny. I want us to be  _more_  than friends. I want to love you and even want you to love me back. But I understand if you don't want to, I understand if you just want us to be friends. Whatever you choose, I respect your choice."

Sunstreaker stayed silent for a few cycles, optics looked at the sky above. He had to let go. He had to let Lockdown go. But...

"I-I want to...," Sunstreaker murmured.

Sideswipe's spark sank as he suddenly felt a "but" coming.

"I want  **us** , too," the yellow mech continued, "But I'm a pleasure mech. I can't..."

Sideswipe sat up and stared down at the yellow mech, "I can wait, Sunny! I can wait until your contract with Lockdown end!"

"It's  **not**  going to end, frag it!" Sunstreaker suddenly growled, optics shifting away from Sideswipe.

"What?"

"It's a  **lifetime**  contract! I signed a fragging lifetime contract!" Sunstreaker suddenly stood up and quickly walked away from the surprised gladiator, "I'll have to be Lockdown's pleasure mech as long as that stupid place still stands! It's  **not**  going to end!"

"Sunny, wait!" Sideswipe also stood up and ran towards the distress mech, "We'll find a way! I'll have a talk with Lockdown, to have him end your contract!"

"Yeah, good luck with that."

"Sunny!" Sideswipe grabbed Sunstreaker's servo, "I'm sure that Lockdown will listen! I-I'll try to have a talk with him! Sunny, Ironhide didn't approve us at first but it was Lockdown who had convinced him to!"

Sunstreaker paused, turned around to look at Sideswipe with a pair of surprised optics. "Ironhide said that Lockdown had cameras in your quarter to make sure you were safe. And he had stopped him from separating us." Sideswipe continued.

Sunstreaker then remembered everytime he had to serve a violent client, Lockdown had always appeared before things getting worse. And it was Lockdown who had uncharacteristically given him these two orns off and even sent him the location of Kaon Arena to find Sideswipe. And his words suggested that he had known about their trip to the  _Illusionist_ and yet he hadn't done anything to Sunstreaker. But that didn't excuse what he had done to him in the first place.

"He had his reasons, for his own good, probably," Sunstreaker scowled, spatting Sideswipe's servo away from his, "He's a selfish, greedy, sick piece of slag. He doesn't care about anybody but himself. Do you know where he was when that fragger hurt me? He sat in his office and watched me being violated on his stupid monitor and did  **nothing**!"

After that, Sunstreaker transformed and quickly drove away, feeling the pain and rage waking inside him as unwanted memories flooded his processor. Sideswipe couldn't let the yellow mech go like that. He also transformed and chased after him in an attempt to calm him down although he, too, was starting to lose in his own anger knowing Lockdown had let what had happened to Sunstreaker happened, and the fact that with the lifetime contract, the yellow mech would never be  **his**. Sideswipe called out Sunstreaker's designation, desperately to get the yellow mech to answer but the yellow car kept speeding up towards the in-progress building.

Suddenly, Sunstreaker steered into a corner then stopped and transformed, causing Sideswipe to do the same and ran towards the yellow mech. Before Sideswipe could speak up, Sunstreaker had put a digit on his lips and tilted his helm to a side. The red mech followed his look and noticed a constructicon sneaking into the site.

"That's Hook. He's a constructicon of this place. But... what's he doing here at this megacycle?" Sideswipe lowered his voice, curiously looked at the light green mech. At this time, normally all of the constructicons had left and shouldn't have any reasons to be here.

Hook looked around him as if to making sure he wasn't followed. The red and yellow mechs had covered themselves with the darkness of the corner; cerulean optics watched the constructicon carefully. Hook continued to walk into the building, not knowing he was being followed by a pair of mechs. Sideswipe and Sunstreaker kept a far and safe distance, continuously exchanged looks filled with curiosity and questions. Cycles later they soon found out that Hook wasn't the only mech wandering around the construction as he was approached by another mech. Huge with dark blue paint job. A mech Sideswipe didn't seem to know.

But Sunstreaker knew too well who that was. It was a mech he could never forget, the mech that had abused his frame and all of his pride and dignity. Disgust filled him as he subconsciously moved a servo to touch his abdomen, feeling as if that fragger's disgusting fluids were still swirling inside his gestation tank and it made him want to purge again. The yellow mech shook in anger and shame as he silently growled. "Sunny?" Sideswipe put a servo on his shoulder, feeling the rage radiating from his friend.

"It's  **him** ," Sunstreaker's optics fixed on the big mech, who was now talking with Hook about something.

"What?"

Before Sideswipe could act, Sunstreaker, with gritted denta and tightly curled fists, had rushed out of their hiding place and ran towards the pair of mechs afar.


	6. Remember to Forget

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sideswipe and Sunstreaker helped each other letting go of the mechs that had hurt them. Meanwhile, Prowl's investigation met an unexpected turn as Sideswipe's ghost of the past had come back to Kaon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the late update. It has been an emotional difficult time for me and I couldn't seem to focus on anything. I've finished chapter 7 but I'm going to need more time to edit it. But it will be updated soon. :)
> 
> Klik ~ a Cybertronian second
> 
> Cycle ~ a Cybertronian minute
> 
> Megacycle ~ a Cybertronian hour
> 
> Orn ~ a Cybertronain day
> 
> Quintun ~ a Cybertronian week
> 
> Diun ~ a Cybertronian month
> 
> Stellar cycle ~ a Cybertronian year

"Bluestreak, hang on!"

Chromedome yelled as he ran towards the young mech, who was lying on the ground in the back of the dark alleyway. His optics behind the yellow visor widened as he noticed the large hole upon the young mech's chassis, revealing half of the spark that was shining too dim and pulsing too fast. Energon was everywhere, covering his grey frame with its light purple color. From the looks of it, it seemed to be the result of a mini cannon.

Their visit to  _The_   _Illusionist_  hadn't yielded any satisfied results. The bartender, whose real designation was Mirage, had said that he had seen cases with Opidium before, a privilege that came with his profession. The Enforcers hadn't had anything else to prove that Mirage was involved in the Opidium smuggling so they had to leave the bar after that. Their investigation seemingly reached the dead end again until Bluestreak spotted  _something_  while they were on their way back to the HQ. Instead of notifying the older Enforcers, for whatever reasons, Bluestreak had silently driven away from them to investigate on his own.

It was not until Chromedome noticed how silent Bluestreak was that he realized the young mech had disappeared. They had tried to comm him and his disturbing plea for  _help_  was the only response. The Enforcers quickly rushed to his side only to meet another familiar mech running out of an alleyway. Immediately, Prowl told Chromedome to look for Bluestreak while he transformed and chased after the mech.

Both of them knew too well  _that mech_  meant bad omens. And there was no doubt that it was  _him_  who had injured the young Enforcer.

"Chro-Chrome... hu-hurt...," Bluestreak choked, tried to lift up a servo, his optics shuttered. Quickly, Chromedome held it tight, trying to comfort the scared young mech, his spark ached as he couldn't bear the image of the usual lively and happy and naive mech writhing in pain, "It's going to alright, Blue. You're going to be alright."

"I-I'm scared..."

Chromedome gently patted the young mech's helm, continued to whisper into his audials that he was going to alright while comming his partner,  _::Prowl, I found Blue::_

_::How is he?::_

_::Bad. His chassis is heavily damaged::_  Chromedome replied as he gently touched the groaning young mech near his wound. His spark shone too dim. This wasn't good. Not at all. And then Chromedome heard Bluestreak mumbling the designation of his cousin - Smokescreen,  _::Don't know if he can make it::_

_::Tell the doctors to do whatever they can to save him. I'll see you later, now I have an_ _**assassin** _ _to catch::_

After that, Prowl disconnected. Chromedome stood up and commed for backup. As he was about to turn away, he stopped as he saw a suspicious trail of small energon puddles near where Bluestreak had been. His instincts kicked in as he quickly followed the trail and found it strangely led him out of the alleyway and disappeared before it reached the road. Was  _that mech_  injured? No, if he was then Prowl wouldn't have any troubles catching him. And Chromedome was sure that these energon were too fresh to belong to an old fight and the trail was too far away from Bluestreak to be his. Chromedome shook his helm and quickly returned to the young mech's side as he heard the sound of the ambulance's and Enforcers' cars, telling himself he would go back here later to investigate more.

It seemed to be there were  **more**  than one mech was harmed that night.

* * *

_**A couple of megacycles later...** _

Ironhide rushed out of his room immediately after he received Prowl's message of wanting to meet him at the Central Hospital.  **Urgent**.

With a mech like Prowl, urgency meant bad things. And with a mech like Prowl, urgency meant dropping whatever you were doing to do as he said. Ironhide had been enjoying his home-alone time, asking for friends and acquaintances as well as checking all of the news to at least find some information about Sunstreaker, until he received Prowl's message. But that wasn't the only surprise he had on this orn. As he had just stepped outside of his room, Ironhide widened his optics and stopped to look at Sideswipe, standing in front of their apartment's door, covering in dust and streaks of yellow paint on his chassis, and at Sunstreaker, dusty frame and scratched chassis and a dented helm fin, lying unconscious within the red mech's arms.

"What the frag happened?" Ironhide asked, stepping closer to the young mechs. Aside their dirty frames and minor scratches and dents, both of them seemed to fine, but why the frag was Sunstreaker unconscious?

"Erm... it's a pretty long story," Sideswipe replied, carried Sunstreaker to the nearby couch and gently laid him down there.

"What's wrong with Sunstreaker? Is he alright?" a sudden thought appeared in Ironhide's processor and he asked with disbelief, "Wait... did you two...? Sides, were you two playing rough?"

"What? No!" Sideswipe winced as he sat down on the floor, a servo gently touched Sunstreaker's dented helm fin, thinking that the yellow mech would be pissed when he woke up, "We didn't play rough, alright? I'll tell you later. And you seem to be in a hurry, too. What happened?"

"Prowl wants to see me. Don't know what happened but I guess it wasn't something good. Gotta go, now," the old mech said as he continued to walk towards the door.

Sideswipe let out a small 'goodbye' then returned his attention to the unconscious yellow mech, not knowing when the old mech had left the apartment. But he didn't seem to care much. His thoughts and attention were all focusing on the yellow mech lying in front of him. There were so many things, so many emotions going on in his processor. His spark weighted too heavy on what he had learnt from Sunstreaker.

A lifetime contract and a possibility that Sunstreaker would never be able to be his.

* * *

"Ironhide."

"Prowl."

The two mechs greeted each other as Ironhide sat down next to the white Enforcer on the waiting chair outside of the emergency room. He had met Chromedome in front of the hospital, who was returning to the HQ to deal with paperwork and reports on the accident. The mech looked horrible with his energon coated frame. As Ironhide had been about to ask, Chromedome had quickly told him about Bluestreak and that Prowl had found out about something that he wanted Ironhide to know. His voice made the old mech feel too uneasy and whatever Prowl had discovered, Ironhide knew he wouldn't like it.

"I'm sorry about Bluestreak," Ironhide said.

"The chance that he will survive is low but that's still more than none," Prowl replied, elbows resting on his laps as his digits entwined together, his doorwings stiffened as he kept staring at the emergency doors.

The old mech sighed and put a servo on Prowl's shoulder, "He's going to be alright." They sat in silence for awhile before Ironhide spoke up again, "I received your message. What is it, Prowl?"

The white mech turned to face Ironhide, and once again looked away after a few kliks, " **Skywarp**  is back."

The designation made Ironhide feel like he had suddenly slipped off a skyscraper and was now falling down deep into the core of Cybertron. Surprise brightened his optics and soon rage overcame his spark, "That slagger is back?"

"With a new Alt mode, too," Prowl said, still didn't look at the old mech, "He's a  **flyer**  now. I believed he was the one who injured Bluestreak. He was there when we found Blue. I chased after him while Chrome helped getting Blue to the hospital. Ironhide, you know I can't chase after a flyer. He just lifted off and disappeared into the sky. It seems to be he  **still**  had that annoying teleportation ability."

Ironhide growled, "What the frag is he doing here?"

"I don't know," Prowl sighed, "You aren't an Enforcer anymore, Ironhide. By regulations I'm not allowed to let you know information like this but..."

"...you have to make an exception, I know."

"That's one reason," Prowl nodded, "Ironhide, there's something  **wrong**  going on in the upper-class circle in Kaon and I have a feeling that  **someone**  is trying to hide it. And beside Chromedome and Bluestreak, I  **can't**  trust anyone else. Ironhide, when I and Chromedome came to Kaon, you had been our mentor, maybe not the most rational but definitely the most honest Enforcer we had ever known. So  **yes** , we can make an exception with you."

Ironhide frowned, didn't know what to say and how to react in return. It was nice knowing Chromedome and Prowl trusted him, but the old mech's attention was still on the fact that Skywarp had returned to Kaon, "And the other reason?" he asked.

"It's about  **Sideswipe** ," Prowl turned to look at Ironhide, "Skywarp had almost  **offlined**  Sideswipe before. I'm telling you this as a  **warning**. Because we still don't know why Skywarp is here, there's a chance that he came back to finish the job."

Ironhide's spark suddenly throbbed in anger as he remembered what Skywarp had done to Sideswipe.  _No, he wouldn't let him hurt his adopted sparkling again._ His digits curled into fists and his frame shook in rage, "I understand," he finally said, standing up and slowly walked away from Prowl.

"You'd better do your job as an Enforcer and find him, while I do my job as a caretaker to protect Sideswipe," he said, almost sounded like a command.

But Prowl didn't seem to care what it sounded like, his optics found their ways back to the emergency room, "Ironhide," he called after the old mech, "Please don't do anything stupid."

Ironhide stopped walking for a klik, "No promises." He said, and then left the hospital.

* * *

"Sunny, I'm so sorry!"

Sideswipe clasped his servos together, looking up at the yellow mech on the couch with pleading and apologizing optics. Sunstreaker had woken up about a megacycle ago and, as Sideswipe had foreseen, had been really pissed off about his dented helm fin. Sideswipe had quickly provided wax and cloth to the grumpy mech after he sensed a murderous glare aiming toward him. At least Sunstreaker seemed to cool down a little bit, waxing and cleaning himself up while did his best to ignore Sideswipe.

"Sunny? Come on, you don't look any less beautiful to me," Sideswipe called again, trying to mix some teases to have the yellow mech loosen up.

Sunstreaker sighed.

"Thanks."

"For what?" Sideswipe was surprised at Sunstreaker's reply.

"For stopping me," Sunstreaker said, digits gently touched his dented helm fin, "Although you didn't have to knock me unconscious."

"I didn't mean to, Sunny. It was an accident."

Sideswipe was speaking the truth. Right after the moment Sunstreaker had rushed out their hiding place at the construction site, Sideswipe had quickly run towards the yellow mech and tackled him before he could reach Hook and the mysterious mech. Fortunately, both of them hadn't notice the red and yellow bots. But unfortunately, Sunstreaker's helm had hit an iron bar nearby as he fell onto the ground, leading to his unconsciousness and the dented helm fin. Even more unfortunately, the sound had caused the two mechs to stop their discussion and go checking their surroundings. Sideswipe had to quickly carry Sunstreaker out of the construction site before they were discovered. This was the reason why they still couldn't find out the duo's intention. Whoever that big mech was, Sunstreaker probably didn't have the most pleasant history with him.

"Who is he, Sunny? The mech at the construction site?" Sideswipe finally asked, sitting on the couch next to the yellow mech.

Sunstreaker stopped cleaning himself. Pain colored his faceplate as the memories of the last orn returned to him. He didn't know if he should tell Sideswipe. He was too ashamed of telling him. But the way the gladiator kept looking at him with pleading and worried optics that were desperately asking for an answer made Sunstreaker unable to lie, or to hide the shameful experiences into the darkest deepest place in his processor.

"He's the client that hurt me," Sunstreaker simply replied, looking away from Sideswipe.

Sideswipe knew what that meant almost immediately. He fixed his optics on Sunstreaker, then at his lower frame. That mech was the one who had done this to Sunstreaker, had hurt his frame and wounded his pride. Sideswipe's servos curled into fists as he felt a sudden rage erupted inside him. If he had known about this sooner Sunstreaker wouldn't have been the one rushing out of the hiding place.

For the present, Sideswipe didn't know what to say to comfort Sunstreaker. He couldn't promise him that that mech wouldn't hurt him again because Lockdown was the only one who got to decide who was allowed to see Sunstreaker. The more he thought about this the more he wanted the yellow mech to stop being a pleasure mech. Because he couldn't bear the thoughts or imaginations of Sunstreaker being fragged and hurt by other mechs again. And more than ever, he wanted Sunstreaker for himself, to be the only one who was able to love him in any ways possible.

"Sunny...," Sideswipe wrapped an arm around the yellow shoulders, "...why did you sign Lockdown's lifetime contract?"

Sunstreaker sighed again. Sideswipe knew this was a too-personal question but he needed to know why, because he had a sudden feeling that this wasn't something Sunstreaker  **wanted**  to do. And if he could find some useful details in his story, he could use them to find a way to end Lockdown's contract. Sideswipe would have to ask Ironhide or even Prowl for help on the matter if needed be.

The yellow mech had stayed in silent for so long that Sideswipe had thought he would never get an answer from him. The gladiator had almost given up asking until he caught Sunstreaker's hurt optics turned to face him and those lips moved to form words.

"Lockdown used to be my lover."

The red mech widened his optics. That wasn't the answer Sideswipe had expected.

"I have a brother, a  **twin**. Kaon is the only clue of his whereabouts. I left Iacon to come here looking for him. Lockdown met me on my first day here. We argued at the most silly thing," Sunstreaker suddenly chuckled at the thought, "I accidentally stepped on his foot, well, to avoid a puddle of oil on the sidewalk and he scratched my paint when I called him a blind turbofox. Then we fought and in the end Lockdown said that he found me interesting and bought me drinks and we quickly became friends after that."

Sunstreaker looked at Sideswipe, " _'I want to be your friend'_. He told me that, just like what you did. He helped me looking for my twin while showing me places and tips for surviving in Kaon. I used to hit him every time he called me his  _little turbofox_. But you know? That never stopped him. As time passed, well, you know what happened. We fell in love. No, it's more like  **I**  fell in love with him."

"Sunny,..," Sideswipe tried to gather all of the information, from Sunstreaker's twin brother to his past relationship with Lockdown.

"I gave him  **everything**  of me!" Sunstreaker growled, no longer be able to face Sideswipe and instead looking down onto the floor, "I let him be the  **first**  to take my seal! Let him be the first to merge sparks with me! Although our sparks didn't choose each other but It didn't matter, I still  **loved**  him! And he told me the same. He told me that there were a lot of bondmates whose sparks didn't choose each other but they were still happy together. And then one day...," he choked, "...one day he showed me a form, an official registration for bondmates and asked me to sign it. He said that we didn't need our sparks to choose each other to be happy. And I fragging  **believed**  him and signed it!"

"Sunny, was that form...?" Sideswipe wrapped both arms around the shaking mech.

"Yes! That form was a camouflage, hidden behind it was the fragging lifetime contract to become his pleasure mech! How could I be so blind? How could I be so stupid?" Sunstreaker cried, cerulean optics turned to face Sideswipe again, deeply in sorrow and anger.

"Sunny, you didn't know. How could you know? You loved him and he tricked you," Sideswipe held the yellow mech tighter, gently laying a gentle kiss upon his cheekplate, "I... I know how you feel."

"How could you?" Sunstreaker scowled.

"Because I was also tricked by the one I used to love," Sideswipe mumbled. He thought it was fair that Sunstreaker had the rights to know his story, too, because he had urged him to tell his. Maybe Sunstreaker would understand why he was so afraid of being touched on the chassis. Maybe Sunstreaker would understand that they had the same pain and both needed to let go of the haunting past. The yellow mech didn't say anything but Sideswipe could feel empathy and curiosity in his optics.

"You aren't the first pleasure mech that I love, Sunny," Sideswipe sadly smiled as memories slowly came back to him, but he had to face it to be able to let go, "Skywarp was his name. Black and purple paint job, elegant frame, witty, lively and charming. At first we were just playing around. Then he said he liked me and I  **believed**  him. He said I was  **special**  and he wished to see me every orn and so I always came back to him. I didn't know when I started falling for him but I had fallen  **hard**."

Sideswipe suddenly felt an arm wrapping around his waist, he turned and gave Sunstreaker a smile, more brighter than the last but still shone with sadness, "When his contract ended, we officially became lovers. It had been a wonderful time of my life. That was until I found out Skywarp's  **real**  purpose of getting close to me," he paused, trying to ease his distress before continued, "Sunny, gladiator's life isn't just about the fame and glory. Not all bet their Credits on me. Some lost their Credits and thought I was a pain in their afts. So you see, sometimes  **assassins**  were sent to offline us. But getting close to us isn't an easy task."

Sunstreaker slightly opened his mouth, finally saw where Sideswipe's story was going. The gladiator nodded, "Skywarp was one of them. He was paid to get close to me and offline me. He told me to merge sparks with him and when I revealed my spark, he...," Sideswipe sighed, "...he tried to  **hurt**  it. Ironhide saved me just in time. But Skywarp escaped and I haven't seen him since. Good riddance, I'll say. Later Prowl told me that he wasn't even a real pleasure mech. Now I sit here and remember and I can only laugh at how naive I was."

Sunstreaker leaned closer to Sideswipe and rested his helm on the red shoulder, "We're all idiots once." Suddenly the gladiator felt a servo touching his chassis, he tensed but the yellow mech's voice had calmed him down, "It's alright. I won't hurt you."

Sideswipe narrowed his optics, wrapping Sunstreaker's servo with his own, "I know. I  **trust**  you."

They wrapped their arms around each other, tightening hugs and planting light kisses upon cheekplates and lips. For the first time since he had become a pleasure mech, Sunstreaker could feel his spark pulse in a mutual love and empathy for another mech. And for the first time since Skywarp had hurt him, Sideswipe could let another mech touching his chassis and felt it yearning for more attention and affection. Their sparks pulsed in a perfect sync, continuously feeding each other comfort, reassurance, trust and love. They lied down on the couch together, with Sunstreaker's helm resting on Sideswipe's chassis and arms wrapping around his middle. Their legs entwined with each other as Sideswipe hugged Sunstreaker tight, feeling his spark pulsing against his.

They let tomorrow answer the what-happened-next question and for the present, they welcomed the touch and warmth that was slowly leading them into a peaceful and deep recharge, sheltering them from the haunting memories of the mechs that had hurt them.

* * *

Ironhide returned home a couple of cycles later.

He had been thinking about Prowl's revelation about Skywarp, and his processor wandered off to the memories where Sideswipe's spark had almost been tainted by him. It had been a horrible sight, seeing Sideswipe's spark being threatened and there had been only shock, pain and panic on his faceplate. He shivered at the thought of losing his adopted sparkling. Then he remembered the reason why he lost his status as an Enforcer...

Ironhide had had relationships before, some were serious, some were just fragging around. But in the end, he had decided that none could ever claim his spark since he had found more enjoyment in his single life. That was until he saw the little sparkling called Sideswipe at an orphanage in Iacon and right at that moment he knew what he wanted. Someone he could take care of, to care about, to love, but not to worry about the usual issues of a bondmates' life. A sparkling to raise, to shape as mech so fine so amazing that everyone should be envious of him.

He opened the door of his and the young gladiator's shared apartment, wondering how he should tell Sideswipe about Skywarp's return. There was no telling how the red mech could react and Ironhide hated to see Sideswipe sad. But maybe he didn't have to tell him tonight, because Ironhide found himself unable not to smile at the scene in front of him. The scene in which the two yellow and red mechs were wrapping each other in arms and legs as they recharged soundly.

Sideswipe had never been this peaceful ever since Skywarp betrayed him.

Ironhide blamed himself for not seeing Skywarp's true colors sooner, he had even cheered for them. And now he turned his shame, his failure of letting his adopted sparkling got hurt into an obsession and paranoid. Because while he wanted to believe Sunstreaker was different, he was still afraid of the possibility that what if he wasn't what Sideswipe expected him to be. He wanted to wake Sunstreaker up and tell him to help protecting Sideswipe with him but he also wanted to separate them at the same time.

Yet, in the end, the old mech's optics lingered on the two brightly colored frames before retreating back to his room.

* * *

_**Meanwhile, at the Nuts 'n' Screws...** _

_::I've told you_ _**not** _ _to do it::_

Lockdown sighed as he heard the mech on the other side of his comm link,  _::It's too late to turn back now::_  he replied, looking out of the tightly shut window in his office before turning to the datapad in his servos.

_::It's your fault,::_  the mech on the other side continued,  _::I've told you not to do it. For both of you and_ _ **him**_ _. Where do you think you're going with this? After this is over, where will you go? Just wander off and disappear into somewhere?::_

_::Hound,...::_  Lockdown called out the mech's designation, though he didn't know what he should say in response.

_::We've been friends for a long time, Lockdown,::_  Hound replied,  _::I would do anything to help you but this is going too far. Buying_ _ **Opidium**_ _? Lockdown, did you have a fried circuit?::_

_::You've helped me before. Back at the bar. With Hook and Scrapper...,::_  Lockdown kept looking at the datapad, optics colored with sorrow and regret.

_::I didn't help you. I was preventing you from stealing their Opidium and pissing them off. Those guys are only transporters but they're tough::_

_::Yes, you helped me. I was being stupid. If you hadn't slipped the Opidium into their drinks, I would have been discovered stealing it::_  Lockdown narrowed his optics, remembering the time he had been desperate and tried to steal a piece of Opidium from the constructicons - Scrapper and Hook - as they stopped by  _The Illusionist_  to grab a drink. They weren't the Opidium smugglers; they weren't even have the Credits to import the mineral. But they were grunts, the transporters for the real smuggler. The two mechs didn't have the brightest CPUs but they did know how to send a mech to the hospital. Hound was there, seeing Lockdown tricked them and pickpocket the piece of Opidium.

_::You should have known they would check their shipment again before leaving the bar,::_ Hound's words reminded Lockdown how stubborn he had been, refused to let go of the mineral until the constructicons checked the gear box attached to their sides. Lockdown had no other choices but to hand Hound the Opidium. Too late and having neither the skills nor options to sneak the mineral back into the gear box, especially when optics started to focus on them, Hound, in a moment of panic, had crushed it into dust then slipped it into the remains of the constructicons' drinks as they turned to look at Lockdown - the last mech they had spoken to and pumped into. They had hoped that the remains of the Opidium would be dumped into a sink with the high-grade and disappeared for good. Sadly, they hadn't expected Scrapper and Hook would finish their drinks before approaching Lockdown. They should have known being unable to waste the high-grade was a usual trait from almost all of the constructicons. And everyone knew what that had led to,  _::Now that slagging bartender is onto me. I know he's suspicious of me::_

_::Mirage?::_

_::Yeah, that him. Remember when you came to the bar to meet that mech? I was there, too::_

_::Yes, I remember seeing you. I saw Mirage flirting with you::_ Lockdown recalled the said time. He was chatting to the big mech while cautiously looking at Mirage and at some point he saw Hound - the forest green mech, being flirted by him.

_::Not the first time he flirted with me. He asked me a lot of questions. I think he knows. But I don't care, there're no evidences and I can take whatever he's throwing at me. So don't worry about me. I'm more worried about you. Lockdown, I don't trust the mech you're doing business with::_

_::I don't, either. But there're no other ways. We have to have the Opidium and he's the best source,::_  Lockdown sighed, digits tightened their grip on the datapad.

_::Lockdown, there has to be another way,::_  Hound paused for a second,  _::What about_ _ **Sideswipe**_ _?::_

_::What about him?::_  Lockdown narrowed his optics at the designation.

_::You told me he was_ _**compatible** _ _::_

Lockdown stayed silent for a few kliks,  _::Hound, he's a_ _ **gladiator**_ _. You know what that means::_

_::Why don't you give him a try?::_

_::Gladiators are the same. He's a 'no'::_

_::You're just being_ _ **jealous**_ _,::_  Hound's word made Lockdown's spark jumped a little,  _::I know you're jealous. Do I need to remind you how many times have I told you this was a_ _ **bad**_ _idea? I've told you_ _ **not**_ _to do this to Sunstreaker and you didn't listen. Why don't you listen to me at least for once before getting yourself helm deep into scraps again?::_

Lockdown pondered on the words. His optics shone dimly, fixing at the information displayed on the datapad in his servo. Words and numbers and charts danced around before his optics and the information was too much painful to read,  _::Put yourself in my position and you'll understand why I have to do all of this::_  he growled with a shaken voice, sounded like he really wanted Hound to frag off,  _::In fact, why don't you come down here and see for yourself what I'm dealing with?::_

The mech on the other side sighed heavily. After a few kliks, he finally replied before disconnecting the link.

_::I'll be right there::_

* * *

Sideswipe knew he had to remember to forget.

Skywarp's faceplate returned to him in his recharge. All the time, all the jokes, the smiles, the loving moments and even all the pain. They came back to him like a flood through a broken dam. He still felt Skywarp's touches and kisses upon his cheek, his frame. He still remembered his faceplate, his smile, his confession of love. His spark ached and he whined. Suddenly, he felt a wave of consolation, as if his spark was trying to comfort him. He silently thanked the strange change of mood, and slowly onlined his optics to catch the sight of Sunstreaker looking at him with worries painted his beautiful faceplate.

"Am I waking you up?" Sideswipe rubbed his optics.

"No," replied Sunstreaker, "It's morning already. Are you alright?"

"Just remembering, that's all."

Sunstreaker didn't say anything, just looking at Sideswipe for a couple of cycles. Then suddenly, he leaned forward, gently laid a kiss upon the gladiator's cheekplates. Sideswipe chuckled, a servo wandered to the yellow mech's aft, "It's good you're here."

"I... I've been thinking," Sunstreaker said, gazing into the blue optics in front him, "We can't be lovers. We can't bond. But... more... more than anything, I want to be with you. I want  **you**. I..."

The yellow mech stuttered, looking away from Sideswipe as if he found it hard to say the word. The red mech smiled, knowing how hard it was for Sunstreaker to confess his feelings, "I  **love**  you, too, Sunny," he hugged the yellow frame tighter.

Sunstreaker offlined his optics and nodded, "Our time together is brief, but I can... I can make it  **good**  for you." It took all of his courage to say what in his processor, and it was going to take more to do what he was going to do. He onlined his optics again, looking at the handsome faceplate that he had come to love so much. Sideswipe's optics shone in curiosity. His lips curved, forming a lopsided grin as he gently caressed Sunstreaker's aft. The yellow mech narrowed his optics, then sat up and removed Sideswipe's servos from his frame. Sideswipe had made him feel good on the orn before and he wanted to return the favor. After hearing the red mech's past, Sunstreaker realized they had a lot in common and they needed each other more than they had thought. They were slowly becoming each other's life compasses, emotional shelters and anchors of trust.

And together they would set sail into the unknown and completion.

Sunstreaker moved down between Sideswipe's legs and lowered his helm. Although being a bit hesitate, Sunstreaker opened his mouth and let his glossa form a circle of oral fluids upon the red mech's codpiece. Sideswipe groaned, optics darkened with lust as he realized what Sunstreaker wanted to do. He leaned his back against the couch and opened his interface cover, revealing his semi-pressurized spike before yellow mech's optics. Sunstreaker seemed reluctant at first, eyeing the red spike that had pleasured him an orn ago. As if sensing the yellow mech's shyness, Sideswipe smiled and teased him, a servo gently touched the other's dented helm fin, "I've told you before. I have a big and wonderful spike."

"I've seen bigger," Sunstreaker huffed, relaxed into the touch.

"It'll get bigger. Don't worry," Sideswipe laughed, "It'll even jump and dance happily if it gets to be inside you."

"You're horrible at dirty talk," Sunstreaker tried to fight off his charge as the image of having Sideswipe's spike deep inside him invaded his processor.

"Oh? So why don't you show me how to talk dirty properly?" the red mech laughed, massaging the helm fin.

"You know I'm not good at talking," Sunstreaker frowned.

"Then show me what you want to do with my spike," Sideswipe said, almost sounded like a growl. The yellow mech couldn't help but let out a small laugh. So the red mech wanted to know what he was going to do with his spike, a demonstration should be enough. He thought as he licked the base of the red spike, then slowly moved his glossa up and down from the base to tip, repeatedly. Sideswipe groaned and caressed Sunstreaker's helm fin, feeling his spike pressurizing. He offlined his optics and threw back his helm. They were really going to do interface, for real this time. Sideswipe remembered how much he had wanted to do this, how much he had desired Sunstreaker. After megacycles of self-servicing and his determination not to hurt Sunstreaker back at the construction site, Sideswipe's wish and dream finally came true. He had thought he was going to enjoy this, until memories of the past suddenly flowed back into his processor...

_Sideswipe's spark fluttered as the scene in front of him. Skywarp wrapped his mouth around the hot spike and moved his helm up and down. The red mech moaned at the incredible heath and started to thrust his hips upward, deeper into the other mech's intake. Skywarp suddenly let go of his spike when he felt his overload was coming. And then he heard him say..._

"Sideswipe..."

Sideswipe onlined his optics as he heard his designation. He looked down to see Sunstreaker was staring up at him, worries again filled his optics. "I'm alright," he said, "Please... continue."

"I'm not him, Sides," Sunstreaker said. Then Sideswipe quickly understood what he meant when he noticed how hard he had gripped Sunstreaker's helm fin. He saw a tint of pain on the mech's faceplate and quickly removed his servo, "I'm sorry. You're not him. I shouldn't have remembered him..."

_But you're still remembering him._  Sunstreaker thought as he looked at Sideswipe. He knew Sideswipe would continue to remember the mech that he used to love and received only pain in return. The orn back at the construction site returned to Sunstreaker's processor. The flashback and memories and fear of Lockdown had haunted him during their first interfacing. Although it had been brief, Sunstreaker knew he couldn't let that mech go. And so did Sideswipe. Their relationship had been developing fast, like driving non-stop on a highway with no destination. Slow had they started but then fallen in love in all at once. Sunstreaker knew their time at the construction site wouldn't be their last. And how could they express their love and strengthen their relationship further if Skywarp and Lockdown kept appearing in their mind every time they decided to get intimate with each other?

"I'm here, Sides. I'm not him," Sunstreaker said and then he remembered their night at the construction site, how Sideswipe had tried to reassure him while they made love for the first time, "It's... it's going to be  _alright_. Don't worry."

Sunstreaker bowed down one more time to give the red spike a gentle lick. He could see Sideswipe flinch and quickly said, "Look at me, Sides. It's  **me**. I won't hurt you. It's... going to be  _alright_." The red mech did as he said, trying to focus on the faceplate of the mech he loved. He gasped as Sunstreaker lowered his helm again to circle his glossa around the tip of spike. The yellow mech truly had the most talented glossa, tasting and licking Sideswipe's spike like it was some kind of a treat. Sideswipe shivered as he suddenly remembered Skywarp and for a klik he almost saw Sunstreaker as him.

_No, this is Sunny, not Skywarp!_  Sideswipe scolded himself, shaking his helm to shove the image of his old lover away. A servo reached to touch Sunstreaker's helm fin, gently caressing it as a way to encourage the yellow mech to continue, and also as a way to constantly remind himself this was Sunstreaker. And Sunstreaker would never hurt him.

The red mech felt his mouth dropped opened as Sunstreaker pushed his helm onto the spike, swallowing it and let the tip reach the very back of his intake. His mouth felt wonderful around Sideswipe and  _oh Primus_ , seeing those beautiful lips eagerly wrapping his rod sent Sideswipe's charge up like launching a rocket. "Sunny... oh ~ you are... so beautiful,..." Sideswipe gasped while his servo kept massaging the helm fin. Sunstreaker moved his helm up and down, quicker by every kliks and every touch Sideswipe was giving him. Not until he felt the spike getting bigger inside his mouth and throbbing in a desired release had he let go of it. His glossa resumed to its task of pleasuring the tip while a servo stroking up and down on the throbbing spike.

"Sunny...!" Sideswipe groaned as he bucked his hips up and cried as he overloaded. Sunstreaker stroked the spike harder, slightly opened his mouth and welcomed the transfluid against his glossa, his faceplate and servo. Normally he didn't like the idea of being coated in another mech's fluids. To him, it was kind of disgusting but Sideswipe was an exception. In fact, his valve and spike's covers had snapped opened when Sideswipe overloaded and they felt so wet, so arousing right now. He moved a servo down to touch his valve and felt it convulsing needy in return, lusty optics still fixed onto the still-hard red spike. He wanted this. He wanted to feel Sideswipe inside him. Wanted to connect with him. To love him and to give him the best he could. Maybe it was still too soon and Lockdown's scars still presented inside him to merge sparks with Sideswipe. But Sunstreaker knew he would have to return to the brothel and in these short moments, he wanted to at least do something for the mech that had comforted him and made him happy.

He climbed on top of Sideswipe's frame, straddling him and let both of his servos touch the red chassis. As if he had seen the sudden panic in Sideswipe's optics, Sunstreaker quickly comforted him, "It's going to be  _alright_ , Sides. I won't hurt you. Do you trust me?"

This question. Those determined and longing optics. They made the memories of their time at the construction site replay inside Sideswipe's CPU. The familiar question that Sideswipe had asked Sunstreaker and received the most meaningful  _'yes'_  he'd ever had in his life. The red mech realized what Sunstreaker was doing, it was more than a normal interfacing, more than an usual frag that satisfied needs. This was all about trust. All about letting go.

Sideswipe knew he had to let Skywarp go.

"Yes," Sideswipe whispered, running a digit on Sunstreaker's lips, "I trust you."

"Look at me," Sunstreaker said as he planted a gentle kiss on the red mech's wandering digit, "I'm not Skywarp. I'm  **your**  Sunny. And your Sunny will  **never**  hurt you."

Sideswipe chuckled and leaned closer to Sunstreaker, "And yet, you kept saying that you're not good at talking."

"I'm not."

"Believe me, what you've just said just made my spike harder," Sideswipe cupped his lover's faceplate and captured his lips in a deep kiss before Sunstreaker could reply.

The yellow mech deepened the kiss, opened his mouth to welcome Sideswipe's glossa while letting his own explore the other's mouth. He moved a servo down and gave the red spike a few strokes before replaced the servo with his bare valve, rubbing up and down on the hard member, drawing gasps and moans from the red mech. "Oh, Sunny...," Sideswipe groaned as he let both of his servos caressing his lover's aft and thighs, encouraging him to move faster while he also started moving his hips. Both of them knew they could go on like this and still had the overloads they wanted. It didn't matter what they did, they just needed to be together.

But Sunstreaker wanted more than this.

"Sides...," Sunstreaker gasped as he could feel lubricants seeping out of his aroused valve, "...I want you... inside me."

"Sunny, are you sure about this?" Sideswipe narrowed his optics. He wanted Sunstreaker more than anything but he didn't want to hurt him.

"Y-yes! I can take it... it has been more than orn... it must have healed," Sunstreaker gasped as he rubbed his valve faster on the spike. He couldn't have thought that there would be an orn he was this desperate to be fragged, and not under the influence of anything, "Please... I want this... I want  **you**..."

He leaned closer and whispered into his lover's audial, "I want... you to take my seal..."

_Oh frag_.

How could Sideswipe object to  _that_? Especially with that pleading voice, those needy optics, that transfluid-covered faceplate and those words. His spike felt like it was expanding in size at the thought that he would be the first one to take Sunstreaker's seal, breaking it as if the yellow mech weren't a pleasure mech to begin with, breaking it as if he was having his first interfacing. "Lie down, Sunny... let me stretch you...," Sideswipe laid a quick kiss upon the yellow mech's lips and gently pushed him off. The yellow mech nodded and complied, climbing off his lover's frame and lied down on the couch, legs spreading wide.

Sideswipe sat up, staring down at the beautiful mech that only belonged to him. He brushed his knuckles against the soft rims of Sunstreaker's valve before pushing a digit into it, making the yellow mech twitch and his mouth dropped opened. Sideswipe could feel the seal deep inside it and couldn't help but letting out groan, feeling his spike throbbing in wants as he kept reminding himself this seal was for him only to take, to break, and to make his lover bleed like a virgin being taken the first time. And his spark moved as he understood this meant a lot to Sunstreaker, giving his permission to love him like no one else could. It made him feel like he was the most special and luckiest mech on this mechanical planet.

"I'm not made of glass, slag it! Just fragging put it in!" Sunstreaker growled, feeling his patience slipping away from him, hips bucking up to push the red mech's digit deeper.

"Be a little patient, will you? For my sake, too," Sideswipe grinned, bowed down to kiss Sunstreaker and push another digit into his valve, stretching it properly under the curses and tempting demands of the mech beneath. After making sure the valve was ready enough, Sideswipe grabbed the yellow thighs and pushing them further apart. He lined his spike towards the dripping valve, staring down at Sunstreaker and asked, "Last chance. Are you sure about this? Because once I'm in... I don't think I'll be able to pull out."

All of the waiting, the self-servicing, the fantasizing. It all came down to this.

Sunstreaker looked at Sideswipe and realized he, too, have wanted this for far too long. There were only two mechs that could capture his spark and made it fluttered in love and needs like this. The first was Lockdown, but he now belonged to the old stories and Sunstreaker couldn't feel anything more than hatred and despise for him. And the second was no other than Sideswipe. He could repeat his mistake and had his spark broken again. He knew the risk and there was a chance that Sideswipe would leave him, or hurt him again like what Lockdown had done.

But this was the mech that had made him feel like the happiest mech on this planet. This was the mech that had gotten his trust maybe too easily. The mech that had also given his trust to the yellow mech to let go of the trick and near-death encounter of his past lover.

"Yes!"

Sunstreaker gasped and wrapped his arms around the red shoulders.

"Get on with i- ngh! AH!" Sunstreaker cried as he felt Sideswipe's spike pushing into him. His valve was a little too tight, but Sideswipe was setting a slow and gentle pace so that he wouldn't hurt his lover. But for Sideswipe, it wasn't exactly an easy job. His cooling fans were swirling fast to cool his overheating frame, to try and calm down so that he couldn't lose any self-control and just fragging slammed his spike into this hot, soaking and wonderful valve that he had desired for so long. He couldn't believe there would be an orn he was able to do this with Sunstreaker's fully consensual and desire. It was easy to claim a pleasure mech's frame, but to claim a spark was always the hardest task. He had waited for so long, had fantasized for too long for this moment and now he felt like all of these times were paying off.

Their sparks felt like they were pulsing in sync, in the same feelings of affection and comfort and lust. Almost liked they were but one mech.

"You're so tight... so wet... oh Sunny...," the gladiator gasped as he slowly pushed deeper into his lover, feeling the soft and wet mesh wrapping and clenching around. He bowed down to cherish the other's faceplate with light kisses. He let go of Sunstreaker's thighs and used a servo to stroke the yellow spike, while the other one kept his lover's hips still. This even felt more amazing than their time at the construction site. The gladiator groaned as the tip of his spike touched the thin seal buried inside his lover and made him flinch, but Sunstreaker didn't show any signs of discomfort. Sideswipe let a smirk run across his faceplate, "Ready to lose your virginity again?"

"Just do it already!," Sunstreaker growled impatiently and slightly moved his hips yet Sideswipe's servo still kept its firm grip on them. For Sunstreaker, a valve's seal was not simply an object, or a symbol of virginity or whatever it was, he really didn't care what others saw it. Personally, he thought that it was a reminder not to let any mechs got close to him, not to trust any mechs and let them hurt him. He hated being touched and responded aggressively to any attempts to woo him. There had been times he had thought of being changed into a boring old mech and settling down with another mech, though. But none had ever made him feel like that future was getting near.

Until Lockdown came.

Lockdown had been the first one ever to break down Sunstreaker's defense and step into his affection zone. Ratchet once told Sunstreaker he was the kind of mechs that wouldn't think they could love someone, but when they did, they would madly and even, blindly, in love. And Sunstreaker wouldn't have thought that that old mech had been right. New valve meant new seal and also meant a second chance to give himself and his trust to the right mech. Yes, he had some doubts and fear about allowing Sideswipe to be that close to him, to be the second mech to step into his forbidden zone. But those disappeared quickly as he saw the happiness and love on Sideswipe's handsome faceplate and heard his adorable, blissful laughs and he couldn't help but to think.

_Yes. He was the right mech._

Sideswipe kissed the yellow mech again before sitting up, slowly pulling his spike out and stopped when only the tip was still inside. He took a breath and moved his hips, pushing the spike into the quivering valve again, a little harder and faster this time. The tip broke through the delicate seal easily like tearing a tinfoil, hitting the back of the valve and right at the sweet, hidden node a little bit too hard that made the yellow mech cried in pleasure.

The sound was so sinfully arousing that the gladiator almost overloaded right there.

Sideswipe pulled out again and looked down at his spike with its tip still buried inside his lover. Sunstreaker was whining and moaning at the sting of the broken seal and the gladiator could see a tint of energon mixing with lubricants and transfluids on his spike, and there was also a trail of energon seeping out of the valve. Usually, this was a normal thing to happen when a mech first lost his seal. But still, Sideswipe wanted to make sure Sunstreaker was alright, "Are you alright? Is it hurt too much?"

"Just move. I-I'm alright," Sunstreaker vented heavily, "This... this feels good. I want this..."

"I love you, Sunny. I want this too. I want you," Sideswipe smiled and gently kissed the yellow mech's slightly parted lips. This wasn't the first time he took another mech's seal, but none could move his spark and meant so many things to him like this with Sunstreaker. Because Sunstreaker was the mech he loved, the mech that meant everything to him and frag  **yes** , he would do anything to end his lifetime contract so he could do this to him every orn. Love him and kiss him and give him everything he got.

Sideswipe pushed into Sunstreaker again, letting the spike disappeared into his lover's valve again. The gladiator had to do everything he could to hold himself from spiking his lover hard and fast, especially when Sunstreaker kept moaning and demanding him to move faster. The yellow mech's virginal valve wrapped around him too perfectly. Almost felt like it was getting tighter and tighter every kilks to pass. It was a wonderful experience that no words could have the ability to describe. Until Sideswipe offlined his optics to bath in the lust and free every senses he had to enjoy the moment.

He suddenly saw Skywarp.

_Smirking and moaning under him, urged him to frag him harder and suddenly touched his chassis, demanding to see his spark._

_"I love you, Sides."_

_And then there was a needle. Touching. Scratching. Ignoring the shock and painful sound from the gladiator as that needle hurt his spark. Energon seeping out and Sideswipe felt like his system were shutting down._

_It was truly horrible._

The pace suddenly decreased as Sideswipe slowed his thrust in and out of the valve and then at one point stopped moving completely. He sobbed and loosened his grips around the other's legs. Helm nuzzled against the mech's neck, breathed in the familiar sense. His spark felt too painful, too much in distress, as if there was an anvil crushing it into pieces.

"Sides?" surprised at his lover's sudden stop and as if sensing the red mech's change of mood, Sunstreaker called out his designation, worried optics locked onto the hurtful faceplate.

"I loved him so much...," Sideswipe started talking after a few kliks of silence, "...I don't know... I don't know if our time together meant anything to him but..."

Sunstreaker wrapped his arms around the red mech's shoulder and held him tight, "I'm  **not**  him, Sides. It's going to be  _alright_."

"I know. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have remembered him..."

"You need to remember to forget. Ratchet once told me that. You let him come to you and then you let him go. He can't hurt you anymore, Sides," Sunstreaker laid a gentle kiss upon the gladiator's cheeks, "I won't let him."

Sideswipe wrapped his arms around the yellow mech's waist, "Thank you."

"Keep your optics onlined whenever you frag me, alright? Look at me."

Sideswipe onlined his optics to look at the faceplate of the mech that had become his spark's sanctuary. Slowly the image of Skywarp was pushed away from his processor and Sideswipe's spark felt like it was going to explode from his guilt and the surprise that someone like him could ever find love again in another pleasure mech. Sideswipe had given Skywarp his trust, his love and his spark. And in the end, he could only laugh at how naive he had been; letting a pleasure mech who turned out to be an assassin fooled him. And now, he might be repeating his same mistake all over again.

But his Sunny would never hurt him.

_I want to let you go. I want you to disappear from my life. I want to_ _**love** _ _again without having your shadow haunted me._

_I have locked your image inside my processor for too long and now I want it_ _**gone** _ _._

With that thought, he bowed down, swallowing his sobs in the passionate, deep kiss he was giving Sunstreaker. He remembered their first met, remembered how the yellow mech had made him feel calm without touching him. Then he remembered the times they had fought, and his anger at the thought of Sunstreaker being hurt by a violent client. His hips moved again, making the yellow mech gasp at the sudden movement inside him. In the gladiator's processor, he kept replaying his times with Sunstreaker, kept reminding himself to let Skywarp go.

He moved faster, and let the dimly lit, quiet room be filled with gasps and moans and repeated whispering words of  _'I love you'_.

And finally, their cried each other's designations as both overloaded. Almost as the same time. They lied in each other's embraces, venting hard as their cooling fans worked, peppering each other's faceplates with tender kisses and mouths moved to form words of promises, consolations and love.

"Thank you," Sideswipe said as he gently pulled out of his lover, sitting up and pulling Sunstreaker into his arms as well.

"We both need this," Sunstreaker sighed, "Feeling better?"

"Yeah...," Sideswipe smiled and kissed the yellow mech's forehelm, "Much better. Keep doing this and I'm going to be addicted to you."

"Oh?" a spark of interest ran through Sunstreaker's optics.

"You have no idea for how long I've wanted to do this," Sideswipe said as he kissed and nuzzled against Sunstreaker's helm fins.

Suddenly, the yellow mech giggled under the touch and Sideswipe couldn't help but gently bit the helm fins, "You like this?" he asked.

"Stop that," Sunstreaker tried to pout but failed as he giggled louder.

_That's fragging adorable._  Sideswipe thought and tightened his hug as he continued to tease the sensitive helm fins, "Make me," he said in a playful tone.

"Oh, I will."

Sunstreaker grinned and suddenly pushed Sideswipe to lie down on the couch. He climbed on top of him and straddled his frame, "Round two?"

"Are you sure?" there were worries in Sideswipe's optics.

"Don't you worry about me. I'm just afraid you don't have enough stamina," Sunstreaker said with a grin, servos ran up and down on the red chassis and Sideswipe's audial horns.

Sideswipe smiled and put a servo on the back of Sunstreaker's helm as he pushed him down to a deep kiss, feeling the pain and anger lifting off his spark. Sunstreaker was like a remedy to his broken spark. A cure to his mood-swing and his emotional stabilizer. He pushed Skywarp away, he reminded the red gladiator of how wonderful life could be if he was with the right mech.

_And yes, Sunstreaker was the right mech._

Skywarp should no longer have any places within his processor and there should always and only be Sunstreaker. He would cherish him like he had on their date at the construction site. He had to prove to Sunstreaker that he could provide him anything he wanted.

They couldn't be lovers. They couldn't bond. For now. Since Sideswipe would do anything to change that.

"Speak for yourself," Sideswipe grinned after the kiss stopped. As Sunstreaker was about to bite back, he was pushed again to meet another passionate kiss from Sideswipe. Glossa against glossa, denta against denta. Sunstreaker eagerly kissed him back and wrapped his arms around the red frame. His valve was still sore from the previous interfacing but he needed this. He wanted Sideswipe more than anything. It would take some more times for the two mechs to completely erase the wounds that Lockdown and Skywarp had caused, but they had found it easier to do so now. They would  **look**  at each other's faceplates, would  **cry**  each other's designations whenever they made love, so that they could remind themselves these were the mechs they  **truly**  loved and trusted.

Sideswipe moved a servo down and let its digits joined Sunstreaker's as they pleasured the sore valve. Digits dipped in and out, faster and deeper, having it stretched and ready to be filled again.

"So... does your spike want to jump and dance now?" Sunstreaker smirked as his other servo slid down to stroke the red spike, lining it toward the needy valve.

* * *

Ironhide was woken up from recharge by the sound of clashing metals and screaming.

No. Not in pain.

The old mech groaned as he sat up from his berth. He had stayed up late, kept thinking about how to start the conversation to Sideswipe, how to tell him that Skywarp was back. Only when he noticed his low energon level had he gone to find some energon cubes and off to berth to cool down his stress and push away his worries and fear. That was until the loud noise from outside of his room disturbed his slumber. He left the berth and as he was about to go out to fragging yell at Sideswipe to stop making so much noise, he heard Sunstreaker's moans and the increasing sound of clashing metals.

_"S-sides! Oh, OH, Sides! Sides! H-harder! F-frag me harder! Ha...! Aaah ~ !"_

The old mech stopped right in his track.

Alright, maybe going out right now wasn't a good idea after all. The sound was fragging distracting and he could only crawl back to the berth and covered his audial with the pillow. Of course they were fragging. What else did he think they do? Playing  _Questions & Answers_ again? They were so close of getting into each other's platings and of course Sideswipe wouldn't let the opportunities slip away.

_"Oh... Sunny, you-nghh! You feel so wonderful... so hot... around me... oh Primus... still so wet...!"_  Ironhide heard Sideswipe's teasing laugh and voice. The clashing sound was getting louder and all Ironhide could think was  _'Primus, Sides, slow the frag down and stop or my processor is gonna explode'_.

_"S-shut u-up and frag me har-aah AH ~!"_

_"Such a beautiful... slut you are... riding me like you're desperate to be...filled with my transfluid...Ngh!"_

_"Nghh! Y-yes! Yes! Oh-Overload in me! F-fill m-... aah-AH! S-SIDES!"_

_"Sunny...! Oh Primus! I'm going to...!"_

And then came the red mech's cry as he overloaded.

Alright, this was fragging  _awkward_. Ironhide was definitely scarred for life. No caretakers or sires or carriers wanted to know their sparklings' interfacing life that detailed. "Frag...," he grumbled. After a long while, Ironhide didn't hear any more disturbing sounds. He finally climbed out of his berth and slowly left his room. He saw Sunstreaker and Sideswipe, embracing each other within their arms on the couch, sharing a kiss so deep so passionate that Ironhide had to look away.

"Ahem," Ironhide cleared his vocalizer and immediately the two young mechs stopped. Sideswipe turned to look at him with a lopsided smile and satisfied faceplate while Sunstreaker tried to look away, probably because of his embarrassment of knowing the old mech had seen what they were doing.

"Hey, 'Hide," Sideswipe grinned, wrapping an arm around Sunstreaker's waist, "Did we wake you up?"

Ironhide nodded and grunted, "You fragging did, you glitches. Good time?" He asked, noticing the new scratches and dents upon the mechs' frames.

Sideswipe turned to look at Sunstreaker then plant a quick kiss upon his lips, "The best." His faceplate brightened in a happiness that Ironhide couldn't think it was possible, and the way Sunstreaker looked back at him, so honestly loving that the old mech didn't know he could actually do that.

Sideswipe was happy, truly happy.

And it broke Ironhide's spark, knowing he had to let Sideswipe know Skywarp had returned to Kaon. He was about to open his mouth, then stopped as he saw the way the two mechs gazing into each other's optics, as if Ironhide wasn't there. He felt like an outsider, who had interrupted their time together even though they were the ones who had disturbed his recharge. Yellow and red frames, covering in so much dents and scratches that their usual bright colors seemed to fade into grey. Same-frame with little differences.  _So good together._

He couldn't do this.

Ironhide turned away from the young mechs, "I, ah, I'm gonna go outside. Don't worry, Sides, I'll rearrange your schedule. Just... spend your orn with Sunstreaker."

"'Hide, is everything ok?" Sideswipe asked, suddenly felt uneasy.

Ironhide looked back at Sideswipe again, then at the yellow mech next to him. Sideswipe deserved to be happy. And Sunstreaker was the only one who could make him this happy. "Yes, more than ok," he smiled, then walked toward the door, "Just comm me whenever you two done fragging, alright?"

Sideswipe smiled and let his optics followed the back of his caretaker until it disappeared behind the closing door.

Outside of the shared apartment, Ironhide looked up to the sky above. Sideswipe didn't need to know about Skywarp, because Ironhide would do anything to prevent that slagger touching and hurting him again.

Left it to the caretaker to do whatever it took to protect his sparkling.

* * *

_**A couple of megacycles later, at the Central Hospital...** _

"Prowl, how is Bluestreak?"

Prowl looked up when he heard his designation. Walking into Bluestreak's room was Chromedome, still covered in energon, weariness dyed his faceplate and frame. The white mech stood up from the chair next to Bluestreak's berth and greeted the mech with a single nod, "The doctor said his spark was stabilized but it was too soon to say anything. His innards were more damaged than he thought. It'll take some more time to be sure Bluestreak is ok."

Both of the Senior Enforcers looked at the recharging mech on the berth, medical lines plugged into his frame. Chromedome's tensed faceplate relaxed a bit when he heard what Prowl said, "That's... better than nothing."

Prowl silently nodded then looked at his partner's frame. By the way Chromedome's frame was still covered in Bluestreak's energon, Prowl could guess that the mech hadn't got a moment to rest after he returned to the HQ, "Did you recharge last night?" asked Prowl, despite knowing too well what Chromedome's answer would be.

"No," Chromedome sighed, "And looks like you didn't, either."

"What happened back at the HQ?" Prowl sat down at the chair next to Bluestreak's berth.

Chromedome crossed his arms, back leaned against the wall, "Nothing too excited. Just doing reports on what happened, about Bluestreak, about Skywarp and trying to convince the Chief to  _reopen_  the Opidium smuggling case."

"' _Reopen_ '?" Prowl widened his optics.

"The Chief concluded that the case was a dead-end. No suspects. No witnesses. No evidences. No traces. No Opidium. Taking too much time and effort. He closed the case. Bluestreak's status didn't make things better. Chief said he had violated the Enforcers regulation by acting alone and it was normal for Enforcers getting injured in Kaon."

"It's a fragging mini cannon!" Prowl growled. The Enforcer rarely swore but if he did, it only meant bad things, "Bluestreak was shot by a fragging mini cannon! What kind of mech in Kaon has a mini cannon? It's even illegal to carry weapons!"

The white mech stood up from his chair, optics blazed in anger and disbelief. Chromedome shook his helm, "There's more. I saw Skywarp  **here**."

"What?"

"I saw him flying on the sky. Purple and black jet as you described to me. He circled around the hospital, then disappeared," Chromedome looked at Bluestreak, "And here is the interested part. There was energon at the scene where Blue was shot but it  **wasn't**  his."

Prowl shot Chromedome a look.

"I found a trail of energon puddles leading out of the alleyway, still fresh," Chromedome continued, "I have collected some of the energon and sent it to the lab back at the HQ. I haven't informed the Chief yet but after he closed the Opidium case, I don't think telling him about this helps anything. Prowl, Blue must have witnessed a  **murder scene** , and Skywarp was our  **culprit**. That was why he wanted to  **offline**  Bluestreak. He must have intended to do so but we interfered back in the alleyway."

"It's the most logical conclusion," Prowl nodded, "Although, I still don't understand. If I had a mini cannon and wanted to offline a mech, I could have aimed it at his  **helm** , to shut him off from any communications and also destroyed his CPU, preventing others from extracting data from it and learning my identity. And yet, Skywarp shot him on the chassis..."

The Enforcer pointed a digit towards Bluestreak's helm, mimicking the action of firing a gun, "Why?", he asked himself.

"Probably because... Skywarp only wanted to neutralize Bluestreak," Chromedome replied quickly, "Hired assassins only offline mechs they were paid for. Blue was an accident. It would be a messy job if he offlined him"

"Neutralize Bluestreak. Then erase his databank. Could have used something less messy than a mini cannon. Assassins usually prefer stealthy weapons. Like an electric rod to paralyze mechs. Unless...," Prowl widened his optics.

"Unless what?"

"Someone  **else**  shot Bluestreak and Skywarp wasn't alone there," Prowl concluded, optics staring at Chromedome.

The orange mech mumbled his partner's words and shivered at the thought of there were more than one assassin here in Kaon. He looked back at Prowl, "What are we going to do now?" Both of the Enforcers knew that they were alone. They would get no support from the Head Enforcer since he had closed the cased. And even if they reported to him that there had been a murder and Skywarp was involved, the Chief would have dismissed it as an illogical assumption.

"Now?" Prowl looked at Chromedome with optics filled with determination and the familiar stubbornness that his partner knew too well.

"Now we do things  **our**  ways."

 


	7. Of Deals and Deceit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ironhide helped Prowl and Chromedome protecting Bluestreak from Skywarp. Meanwhile, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe made deals that would change their life forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Klik ~ a Cybertronian second
> 
> Cycle ~ a Cybertronian minute
> 
> Megacycle ~ a Cybertronian hour
> 
> Orn ~ a Cybertronain day
> 
> Quintun ~ a Cybertronian week
> 
> Diun ~ a Cybertronian month
> 
> Stellar cycle ~ a Cybertronian year

Ironhide rushed to the Central Hospital right after he received Prowl's  _urgent_  message.

The old mech had finished rearranging Sideswipe's schedules back at the Arena and been intended to stop by  _The Illusionist_ to ask the bartender a couple of questions. The owner of the bar had always been a good source of information, no mechs coming in and out of Kaon that he didn't know. But he had to put his plan on hold to quickly drive to the Hospital. Prowl had been the one who informed him about Skywarp's return. So he probably had some information related to that slagger. The old mech met Chromedome standing outside of the hospital, waiting for him. They exchanged a quick greeting and Ironhide learned that Bluestreak's spark had been stabilized but he hadn't woken up yet.

Chromedome led him into the young mech's room, where he met Prowl, sitting on the chair next to the berth with his optics quickly turned to Ironhide. Before the Battlemaster could ask what happened, Prowl cut him off, "We need your help, Ironhide."

It took a couple of kliks for the old mech to answer, "What?"

"Skywarp is after Bluestreak and we need your help to look after him," Prowl said.

"Why is Skywarp after Bluestreak?"

"That's something we're going to find out," said Chromedome, "Bluestreak had seen...," the orange mech stopped for a moment, "... _something_  that Skywarp didn't want him to."

"And you want me to look after him," Ironhide looked at the unconscious mech on the berth.

"Ironhide, we know you aren't an Enforcer anymore but we can't ask for anyone else. The Head Enforcer had refused to acknowledge Skywarp as a threat. We'll get no support from him," Prowl said and Ironhide could sense his anger radiating from him, "We can't trust anyone else but  **you**."

Ironhide pondered on Prowl's words. He was curious about Skywarp's intention and what Bluestreak had seen that almost cost his life. Although he hated himself for thinking like this but he was glad that Bluestreak was Skywarp's current target, not Sideswipe. But as soon as he laid his optics on the young mech lying motionlessly on the berth, he scolded himself for thinking like that. No mechs should suffer under Skywarp's doings. A sudden question appeared inside Ironhide's processor as he was thinking.  _What if Bluestreak learned something about Skywarp's plan and it actually involved Sideswipe?_  He had to prevent that slagger from getting near him until Bluestreak recovered and told him and the Enforcers what he had seen. This could also be a convenient way to catch Skywarp without looking for him since that sorry excuse of a mech would find his way to be here first.

"I'll do it," Ironhide nodded.

"Thanks, Ironhide," Prowl said, then standing up from his chair, "There are so much at stake and we can't do it by ourselves."

"We're going back to the HQ to meet Fixit, asking him to help extracting Bluestreak's data from his CPU and checking on something. We can't give this kind of task to anyone else and it's gonna take both of us to convince that stubborn mech. Can you stay here and look out for Blue?" Chromedome asked.

"Of course," Ironhide said, thinking he couldn't go back home now anyway.

The Enforcers smiled and gave him slight nods as they left the room. After they were gone, Ironhide walked to the window and looked outside, into the sky above. Prowl had told him that Skywarp had a new Alt mode and was a flyer now. So Ironhide told himself to look out for any signs on the sky, though sadly he could find none now. After a while, the old mech turned away and pulled the chair next to the window. He must not let his guard down. Skywarp was dangerous and had a unique ability of teleportation. He could appear out of nowhere and strike him unexpectedly. Ironhide suspected that his ability came from an implant that could only be acquired through black market since no mechs naturally had this kind of power since they were sparked. He remembered the time he had rushed forward Skywarp to push him away from Sideswipe and this ability had teleported the assassin away and helped him escape from the old mech's wrath.

Speaking of Sideswipe...

Ironhide still hadn't received any comms from Sideswipe. The glitch was probably enjoying his time with Sunstreaker. Ironhide recalled the faceplates of them two love bots and didn't know how he should feel about it. They did look good together. And Ironhide did try to be happy for both Sideswipe and Sunstreaker, considering how the yellow mech had to go through an unpleasant experience with a violent client. Yet, he still felt awkward for overhearing their interfacing, and also the possibility that Sunstreaker would turn out to be a mech that could hurt Sideswipe again.

The old mech turned to look at Bluestreak, wondering what was going on in Kaon and why the Head Enforcer dismissed Skywarp's dangerous potentials. Of all mechs, he should be the one who knew better than anyone that Skywarp was an assassin and had nearly offlined a mech before. Beside Skywarp's return, Prowl and Chromedome pretty much kept him in the dark since he couldn't figure out what had caused them to say  _"there are so much at stake"_.

He could feel that there was a storm coming and only hoped that it left his sparkling alone.

* * *

"Your brother... how is he like?"

Sideswipe asked, wrapping arms around Sunstreaker, lazily and slowly pumping his spike in and out of the yellow mech's overfilled valve, watching their transfluid leaking out of it in every thrust in and out with lusty optics. They had lost counts how many times they interfaced after Ironhide had left; how many mind-blowing overloads they had given each other. Not a single place in the apartment had they not explored, be it on a table, against the wall, on the lounge or even in the washrack and right now, on Sideswipe's berth. They had been insatiable, unable to let the other go. They had fragged, then stopped to rest and have some chats, go get one or two energon cubes, cuddled a bit and then fragged again. It was like crossing the barrier to the deserted area around the construction site to do a race at night. No one wanted to see. No one wanted to know. They had themselves for each other, enjoying their almost sinful time together and couldn't, or didn't want to stop.

"Sides... talk? Or frag?" Sunstreaker grunted, servos caressing the red mech's back and hips.

"Why don't we do both at the same time?" Sideswipe grinned.

"You're greedy."

"Can't help it. I have to make every kliks count when I have you for myself, haven't I?" Sideswipe smiled as he knew Sunstreaker would have to return to the brothel and back to his routine as a pleasure mech soon. They could meet each other but if only Sideswipe was able to book an appointment with Sunstreaker. It was weird that Sideswipe had to pay Credits in order to see his lover and not every orn he was able to do so. Surely, Sideswipe wouldn't let that result to be their relationship's. He told himself he had to do something. Lockdown had tricked Sunstreaker into signing the contract and that was illegal and unfair.

"Hmm...," Sunstreaker hummed, "...he's my twin brother. We were separated when we were very young so I didn't really know how he looked. But twins usually look identical to each other. So... he probably looks like me..."

"Then he must be a very gorgeous mech. Just like his brother," Sideswipe smiled and gently kissed Sunstreaker, "Do you know anything about him?"

"I... don't know much about him...," Sunstreaker sighed, "He's a lively mech... but easily gets angry... his life has ups and downs... like any of us. But I'll always make sure to cheer him up through our bond..."

"Bond?"

"Our twins bond. Twins have a unique bond ever since they were sparked. We can feel each other's feelings even if we're far away. That was why I knew I had a brother," Sunstreaker said and Sideswipe could catch his happiness in those cerulean optics. His brother probably meant a lot to him.

"So... how is he feeling now?" Sideswipe ran a servo down on the other mech's faceplate.

"He's happy. And horny. Probably because of me," Sunstreaker let out a small laugh and Sideswipe couldn't help but kiss him again.

"How about I help you go looking for him?" Sideswipe asked, "Maybe after this round, we can go out and look for him?"

"That... that would be... great," Sunstreaker mumbled, gazing into the red mech's optics before lifting his helm to plant a quick kiss on those lips, "Thank you."

Sideswipe smiled and thrust a little harder into Sunstreaker, drawing out a small adorable mewl from the other mech. He always loved it when Sunstreaker made those sounds, and also the fact that only him was capable of pleasuring him like this. Suddenly, the yellow mech patted his shoulders and told him to stop. "What is it? Am I hurting you?" Sideswiped asked worriedly.

Sunstreaker shook his helm, "No. I'm receiving a comm."

"From Lockdown?" Sideswipe frowned.

"No. It's from Ratchet, my caretaker. I didn't answer his comm yesterday," Sunstreaker knew the doctor would be very pissed.

"Did he know...?" Sideswipe asked again even though he could guess that Sunstreaker hadn't told his caretaker about what had happened to him. And he was right, Sunstreaker shook his helm, "It's my mistake. I have to deal with it myself," the yellow mech mumbled, "Now let me answer his comm."

Sideswipe nodded and held still his position, stubbornly refused to pull out of the valve that he loved so much. Sunstreaker didn't mind, though, saying  _'whatever'_  and replied Ratchet's comm as usual.

_::I'm here, Ratchet::_

_::Where the frag have you been? You didn't answer my comm yesterday!::_  the doctor immediately yelled through the comm link, just as Sunstreaker had expected.

The yellow mech sighed,  _::Well, I was- Nghh!::_

_::Sunstreaker?::_

Ratchet's voice filled with worries when he suddenly heard the young mech's groan. Above Sunstreaker, Sideswipe was giving his lover a mischievous grin as he started thrusting into him again. Although the pace was slow, it still caught Sunstreaker by surprise.  _::I-I'm fine! I'm fine! It's ok!::_  Sunstreaker quickly told Ratcher, glaring at Sideswipe as a way to silently command him to stop.

But of course, Sideswipe was famous for being a stubborn and playful mech, who didn't mind to stray away from the main path to explore every possibility he could have, just for fun. He only gave a hard thrust in return, ignoring Sunstreaker's glare and the servo that kept pinching one of his audial horns.

 _::Are you sure?::_  Ratchet asked again, noticed how high Sunstreaker's voice suddenly rose.

 _::Ye-yes! I'm sure!::_  Sunstreaker tried to lower his voice,  _::Ratchet... I'm sorry but I was... a-AH!::_  The yellow mech immediately gritted his denta to shut himself up as Sideswipe's spike drove deep into him and hit that sweet node hidden inside his valve.

_::Sunstreaker! What the frag are you doing?::_

_::Nothing!::_  Sunstreaker gasped as Sideswipe had bowed down and licked his throat, increased his thrust into the dripping valve,  _::J-Just...! Just hanging out with a-AH-a friend!::_

A couple of kliks passed by and suddenly Ratchet gasped, knowing exactly what was happening,  _::Sunstreaker, are you and him...? Are you guys_ _ **fragging**_ _?::_

_::YES! OH-oh for Primus's sake! Yes, we're fragging! ARE YOU FRAGGING HAPPY NOW?!::_

_::Alright... alright, ok...::_ Ratchet talked as if he was trying to calm himself down,  _::Then I can guess what happened last orn that caused you to ignore my comm::_

_::Ratchet! Let's talk later! I- nghh!::_

_::No, hold up. Let me talk to him. Give me his comm link signature::_

_::WHAT?::_

_::Send me his comm link signature, Sunstreaker. I need to talk to him. I'm your caretaker, I have the rights to have a chat with the mech you're dating::_

_::Don't you see -ngh!::_  Sunstreaker groaned at another hard thrust,  _::-we're a bit busy right now?::_

 _::I know. Send me his comm link signature. One moment ago you guys are still friends and now you're fragging. It's too fast for my taste so I need to talk to him. Now::_  Ratchet replied with a serious tone to let Sunstreaker he wasn't joking then disconnect

"Ugh!" Sunstreaker growled, couldn't believe Ratchet would ask for something like that right now.

"What is it?" Sideswipe asked, noting Sunstreaker's scowl and stopped moving.

"He wants to... comm you. Right now. He told me to send him your comm link signature," Sunstreaker sighed, "And why the frag did you have to move while I'm answering his comm?"

"Just want to spice things up a bit," Sideswipe laughed, then stayed silent for a bit to search for Sunstreaker's designation in his processor's databank. A couple of kliks later, he looked down onto the yellow mech and grinned again, "Done. I've just sent you my comm signature. Send this to your caretaker and remember to comm me whenever you miss me, alright?"

By the brothel's rules, Sunstreaker wasn't allowed to comm his clients. But then again, why the frag should he care anyway? Sideswipe was his lover so he could do whatever he wanted. Frag Lockdown and his rules.

"One more thing," Sunstreaker sighed, "Don't tell him where I am and that I'm a pleasure mech. My caretaker can be... overreacted."

Sideswipe fixed his optics on Sunstreaker and silently, he nodded. Honestly, he didn't know if he could keep the secret if Ratchet kept pressing on him demanding to know the truth. No caretakers wanted to see their sparklings selling their frame for Credits, let alone knowing them doing so just because they were tricked by the ones they loved. It would be a cruel news for the doctor. But Sunstreaker was  **his**  sparkling and keeping him from knowing his fate also didn't sound like something Sideswipe should do.

Both of the young mechs lied still on the berth, digits thrumming on each other's frame. Until Sideswipe's comm link pinged with a new designation.  _::Hello. Ratchet, right?::_  Sideswipe grinned and suddenly started moving again, "Frag! Sides!", Sunstreaker gasped as the sudden movement inside him.

 _::Are you hurting him?::_  came the old mech's only reply.

 _::Well, aren't we off to a good start? I can assure you that I'm hurting your sparkling but in a very good way. You know, in a way that he'll scream in pleasure every time I-::_  the red mech grinned, continued to thrust into the familiar valve faster with erotic thoughts dancing inside his processor.

_::I don't need all that details. First talk and you already annoyed me. What does Sunstreaker see in you anyway? You sound like a spoiled brat::_

_::Probably my good looks and charm. And I'm the only spoiled brat that can make your adorable sparkling moaning and writhing under me::_  A hard thrust and Sunstreaker cried his designation, actually moaned and writhed under Sideswipe.

_::You sound like a mech I know and I fragging hate him. If Sunstreaker wasn't interested in you, I would probably have disconnected right now to personally come to wherever you are to smack your CPU out, you brat::_

_::Yeah... I guess now I know where Sunny got his temper from,::_  Sideswipe laughed and moved his hips faster, sinking his spike deep into the mech beneath and hitting the sweet nodes that caused the yellow mech to howl in pleasure. His pelvic plate clashed against Sunstreaker's repeatedly, coating their thighs in lubricants and transfluid. Sideswipe gasped as he felt Sunstreaker's needy valve squeezed his spike and his audials were showered with the yellow mech's cries and demands to be fragged harder and faster and deeper.  _Well, who's being greedy now?_  Sideswipe smirked at the thought and did as Sunstreaker wished.

Noticing Sideswipe's gasps and groans, Ratchet grunted,  _::Did you try to get close to Sunstreaker just to interface with him? Do you intend to dump him after you get what you want?::_

Ratchet's questions made Sideswipe slow down and Sunstreaker brightened his optics to look up at him, wondering what Ratchet had said. The red mech traced a digit along Sunstreaker's jawline and stopped at his pouty lips. If he just simply wanted to interface with Sunstreaker he would have done so long ago. Sunstreaker was a pleasure mech so Credits would be enough to have one night with him, experiencing the  _'most gorgeous mech'_  in the  _Nuts 'n' Screws_ , the no-worries, no-string-attached kind of experience. But Sideswipe didn't want a simple frag. He wanted more from the yellow mech. His affection. His love. His trust. The gladiator's optics gazed lovingly into the faceplate that he had held, had kissed and had desired for too long. The vision of not being able to see this beautiful and grumpy mech again broke Sideswipe's spark.

 _::I_ _ **love**_ _him,::_  Sideswipe replied, without the teasing and confident tone that he had recently used,  _::There're no words that I can use to describe how much he means to me. I know you're worried about him and I know you'd mince me into dusts if I hurt your sparkling. And I fragging_ _ **hope**_ _you'd do that because I'd even offline myself if I hurt him,::_  Sideswipe remembered the fight that had led to three orns without seeing each other, the emotional struggling and their first interfacing with whispering consolations in hope of letting go the mechs of the hurtful past,  _::He's the most beautiful and wonderful mech that a mech like me could ask for::_

Ratchet stayed silent for a couple of kliks, keeping Sideswipe on waiting. Sunstreaker narrowed his optics, but didn't say anything. Parts of him were afraid that Ratchet would be disapproved of their relationship. But he knew the old mech better than anyone else. If Ratchet scolded someone and kept telling him he didn't like him, it meant he actually cared about that mech. Finally, after cycles of waiting, Sideswipe heard a small laugh on the other side of the comm,  _::Alright. I can accept that answer::_

 _::Still hate me?::_  Sideswipe returned to his usual playful tone of voice.

_::Less now::_

The red mech laughed and moved again after giving Sunstreaker a wink to let him know everything was alright. The yellow mech sighed in relief, wrapping his legs around Sideswipe's waist; servos cupped the red mech's face and pulled him down to give him light kiss. Sideswipe purred and kissed back, didn't forget to whisper another  _'I love you'_.

 _::Alright. I'll leave you guys alone now. But I'll comm regularly to check on both of you::_  Ratchet said, finally lightened his serious tone and disconnected. Sideswipe let his forehelm touched Sunstreaker's, smiling.

"Now... where were we?"

* * *

_**Meanwhile, back at the Central Hospital...** _

Nothing had happened to Bluestreak and Ironhide during the Enforcers' absence.

The old mech kept waiting for Sideswipe's comm. It wasn't that he wanted to go home but it was his hope of knowing the red mech was still fine and Sunstreaker hadn't done anything to him. The images in which Skywarp was about to damage Sideswipe's spark kept haunting him and he couldn't bear to let it happen again. In fact, he was suspicious of everyone that stepped into Bluestreak's room. Nurses and doctors that came into the young Enforcer's room usually tried to finish checking on him as fast as they could because of the harsh and doubtful glares that Ironhide kept giving them.

Ironhide had commed every mech he knew and told them to inform him immediately if they saw Skywarp, a winged mech with black and purple paint job that had a jet as his Alt mode. He didn't tell them Skywarp was an assassin, though, being aware of the potential risks that he could put them in. But seeking for help on Skywarp wasn't the only thing he did while waiting for the two Enforcers, Ironhide also continued his research on Sunstreaker and finally received a disturbing result. There was no information about Sunstreaker other than him being a pleasure mech. He had contacted some of his old friends back at the Iacon Enforcer HQ to have them searching for the yellow mech on their database. But they had told him to give them some time and he still hadn't received any replies from them since. As he was about to return to his task of looking out for Bluestreak, he received a comm from an acquaintance telling him there was a mech that matched his appearance description and home city.

 _::It's_ _**Spinout** _ _. Don't know if that was a real designation or not. I only heard about him from a friend a couple of diuns ago::_

 _::Can you ask your friend for more information about him?::_  asked Ironhide.

_::I'll try and comm you later, okay?::_

_::Thanks::_

He disconnected the comm and felt like he was near to uncover Sunstreaker's true identity. Sideswipe wouldn't approve of what he was doing and Ironhide did this to protect him, to make sure Sunstreaker didn't turn out to be some sorts of an assassin or a mercenary. A few cycles later, Prowl and Chromedome returned to the hospital with Fixit. The old mech was about to greet the young doctor and asked how he was doing. Although they didn't talk anymore, Fixit had looked up to him, once. But the young mech's cold optics as they laid upon him shattered the friendly smile on Ironhide's faceplate, "Why is **he**  here?" Fixit asked, voice filled with surprise and irritation.

"The same reason you're here," replied Prowl, "We can't trust anyone else in the HQ."

"Prowl, he's not an Enforcer anymore," Fixit threw a glare at Ironhide, "He's a  **murderer**."

The word made Ironhide twitch. Normally, he wasn't one being silent to let other mechs calling him bad things but in this case, he couldn't say anything back, knowing Fixit was telling the  **truth**.

"He did what he had to do, Fixit," Chromedome quickly defended the old mech, "Beside, don't tell me you feel sorry for the mech he offlined."

"I don't. But what he did... it was **wrong** ," Fixit shook his helm and walked towards Bluestreak, ignoring Ironhide, "And I hope you guys know what you're doing. Extracting data from a mech  **without**  permission from the Chief."

Chromedome put a servo on the old mech's shoulder, trying to at least give him a silent comfort. Ironhide knew the young mech could feel his anger through his slightly shaken frame. Blue optics stick onto the doctor, wanting to explain to him, to excuse his past mistakes but in the end, Ironhide stayed silent, accepting his hatred like a kind of punishment. It was not just Fixit, but almost all of the young Enforcers back at the HQ who had been under Ironhide's training felt the same way about him. They used to like him, idolize him even and so just a single mistake had destroyed the image they had looked up to so much like a demolished statue of Primus. Chromedome and Prowl were the only two who understood why he had to do what he had done and still maintained their close relationship with him.

Fixit sat down on the chair next to Bluestreak's berth and pull out a line and a datapad from his subspace. He gently moved the young Enforcer's helm so that it was tilted aside, allowing him to manually open the access port behind his neck. Quickly, yet carefully at the same time, Fixit plugged the line into the port and jacked its end into the datapad in his servos. A couple of kliks later, the datapad displayed all of the codes stored inside Bluestreak's CPU.

"How long will it take?" Prowl asked.

"Depends. But it'll take megacycles. After extracting the needed data, I'll also have to spend some time to decode it. This is a delicate task, after all. If I'm not careful, I'll end up altering Blue's personalities and he may not even talk again."

"Actually, I can live with that," Chromedome nodded in amusement.

"Or... I can make him become even more talkative than he already was."

"Alright, that's pretty much convinced me to tell you to take as much time as you want."

Fixit just snorted.

* * *

_**Nightfall, at The Illusionist...** _

"Well, looks who's back?"

The bartender grinned as he saw Sideswipe walking into the bar, with his "friend" following close behind. Some of the bar-goers turned to look at them, smiling and laughing and throwing some greetings and  _'welcome back'_  to Sunstreaker's direction. Obviously, they all remembered him and the bar fight that he had indirectly caused.

"The usual for you and your friend?" the bartender smirked, looking at Sideswipe.

The gladiator smiled back and instead just said yes, he pulled Sunstreaker closer to him, "Not  _'friend'_  anymore. He's my _lover_  now. And yes, we'll take the usual, thanks, Dino."

"And then on this orn onward, we lose two more single good-looking mechs. Such a shame," the bartender laughed teasingly and turned away to prepare his customers' drinks.

Unlike the last time he had been here, Sunstreaker felt more comfortable this time. Maybe because the mechs here finally acknowledged him, or maybe it was Sideswipe, wearing their new relationship status so proudly. The gladiator had suggested coming to  _The Illusionist_  to ask about Sunstreaker's twin brother since the bartender almost knew every mech in Kaon. That was the reason why they were here. While waiting for Dino, the two same-frame mechs talked more about Ratchet and Sunstreaker's twin brother. Sideswipe promised the yellow mech that he wouldn't tell Sunstreaker's family about his current status as a pleasure mech. Although he had thought of asking them for help in getting Sunstreaker out of the brothel if the situation called for it.

Sideswipe looked around the busy bar until he spotted a familiar mech in black and green paint job, sitting at a table not far from him. A sudden rage rose inside the gladiator as he remembered it was that mech who had betrayed Sunstreaker's love and sold him off as a pleasure mech. He was chatting with another forest green mech, whom Sideswipe quickly identified as Hound. The red mech had met Hound a couple of times before in The Illusionist and their relationship could only stop as being acquaintances. Hound was a middle-class mech and worked as an Accountant in the City Hall. The mech wasn't the most stand-out mech in this place but Sideswipe was surprised to see he knew Lockdown.

"I'll go say  _'hi'_  to a friend. Wait for me?" Sideswipe smiled and gently put a servo on Sunstreaker's shoulder.

The yellow mech could sense that something was going on. Just a couple of kliks ago he felt his brother's rage and he didn't know what had caused it. And now Sideswipe told him to wait. Before Sunstreaker could reply, Sideswipe had already turned his back on him and walked away. Intended to run after him and demand to know what happened, he stood up from the bar-stool and then suddenly felt a servo touching his shoulder, startled him and, as quick as he could, slapped the strange servo away.

"Woa! Easy there!"

The mech who had just approached him exclaimed but that couldn't stop Sunstreaker from giving him a threatening glare and trying to move away from him. He wasn't in that Unicron-spawned brothel so no mech could touch him against his will and Sunstreaker intended to keep it that way. It took Sunstreaker a while but he finally recognized the mech that had just touched him. The black and white mech with a blue stripe in the middle of his chassis and blue visor. He was the mech that was responsible for the bar's music.

"You are the music mixer," Sunstreaker grunted, "What do you want?"

The mech grinned and nodded at Dino as he put the high-grade on the bar table. The bartender smiled and gave him a nod back, then walked away to tend for another customer.

"I'll get to the point since we don't have much time," the music mixer said with a low voice, "I know who you are and your relationship with Lockdown."

Sunstreaker's spark almost stopped pulsing.

"Who are  **you**?"

"Call me  **Jazz**. And I'm your ticket to  **freedom** ," the mech grinned, "I know a way to get you out of Lockdown's brothel for good. But I need you to do as  **I**  say..."

* * *

"Lockdown, you can't do this..."

Hound grumbled, optics locked onto his friend's faceplate. Lockdown took a sip from his drink, staring at the dull and scratched texture of the table, "Then tell me what other choices do I have?"

To be honest, he didn't like to be here, at  _The Illusionist_. Too risky. Too dangerous. Both Mirage and Jazz - the music mixer - weren't what they appeared to be. Lockdown knew he had to be careful or else what he was doing will be busted by those two. He didn't know why Hound had insisted to come and meet him here. Didn't the forest green mech say that Mirage was onto him? Lockdown had tried to ask but Hound hadn't provided him any clear answers. He could be getting more paranoid, or Hound was actually hiding something from him.

The only thing he could do right now was constantly looking around, to make sure Mirage and Jazz couldn't overhear his conversation. It was rather a cruel coincidence when he saw Sunstreaker and Sideswipe walking into the bar. Lockdown looked away and bowed down so that the yellow mech wouldn't notice him since he wasn't in the mood for being involved in any kinds of drama. And also because he hated seeing him with Sideswipe.

"I-I don't know," Hound shook his helm, "But there has to be another way. Without...," he lowered his voice, "...buying Opidium from  **him**."

Lockdown snorted and took a quick look at Sideswipe and Sunstreaker before turning away again.

"Lockdown, please...," Hound leaned closer to his friend, "...you don't even have enough Credits to buy Opidium from him!"

"Then tell me. What would you have me do?" Lockdown growled, staring at Hound and shut him up, "I'll have to find a way to obtain more Credits."

Hound sighed, offlined his optics and rubbed his forehelm, didn't know what to say to his friend. Suddenly, he saw Lockdown looking up from the table and quickly turned around to see a red mech approaching them.

"Hey, Hound," the mech raised a servo up and grinned lopsided.

 _Here comes troubles_ , Hound thought and stood up from his chair, "Hey, Sideswipe."

"You knew Lockdown?" Sideswipe smiled and for the first time, Hound felt very uneasy with his friendliness.

"An old friend. But we haven't talked for a long while and I just stop by to ask how he's doing, that's all," Hound said as he walked past the red mech, "I'll be going now."

Sideswipe looked at Hound as he slowly walked away and then back at the black and green mech. "Hello, Lockdown," the red mech grinned and pull a chair to sit next to him.

"What do you want?" Lockdown growled and didn't even looked at the red mech. He really wasn't in the mood to play whatever games Sideswipe was having.

"Just want to have a nice chat with you," Sideswipe said, "About Sunny and how you tricked him into signing a lifetime contract."

Lockdown stopped and finally looked at Sideswipe. Immediately he saw the red mech's anger and hatred filled his blue optics. Sunstreaker was a private mech and he rarely talked about his past to anyone else. But if Sideswipe knew then...

"I take it you've already fragged him then," Lockdown took a sip from his drink. Of course, why would Sunstreaker listen to his advice  _'no interfacing'_?

"It's obvious, isn't it?" Sideswipe snorted, "But unlike you, I didn't trick him into signing a contract to be a pleasure mech. You do know it's illegal, right?"

Lockdown narrowed his optics and suddenly, he laughed, "I know what you're doing, Sideswipe. You think Sunstreaker didn't try to get a confession from me to report it to the Enforcers? You think he didn't try to sneak into my office to find evidences against me? He had been fighting me longer than you so don't even think you hold the upper leash here."

Sideswipe had thrown his grin away and instead, was now wearing an intense and murderous faceplate, "You're not going to get away with this."

"I know Prowl and I know you guys consider each other as friend," Lockdown continued, "I know you have friends in high place but remember that I have friends in  **higher**  place. Who can send your evidences into nonexistence just with the tip of a digit. Hound doesn't count."

Sideswipe didn't say anything. Lockdown could see the red mech's servos were now curling into fists as if he could jump up and punch him anytime. Then suddenly, an idea came to Lockdown and he looked at Sideswipe with brightened optics.  _Sideswipe could be his financial solution._

"But I'll offer you a deal. You want me to end Sunstreaker's contract, right? Then let's do a little business. You paid me a lot of Credits, and I'll give you your precious Sunshine."

Sideswipe dropped his mouth at Lockdown's words. Mech trafficking was considered a serious crime in Cybertron. But what else did he expect from Lockdown? That mech had already violated the law by tricking Sunstreaker into signing a lifetime contract and, probably, bribing the authority here in Kaon. What options did he have? Sideswipe turned around and saw Sunstreaker, chatting with the music mixer of  _The Illusionist_.

He wanted Sunstreaker. He wanted him to be free, to be happy, and to be  **his**. Only for him to love and kiss and smile with. And his wish wouldn't come true if Sunstreaker was still a pleasure mech. His spark throbbed in pain and anger as he pictured his lover with another mech, being kissed, being fragged and being hurt by them.

Sideswipe offlined his optics and sighed, couldn't believe what he was about to say.

"How much do you want?"

* * *

Sunstreaker stared at the bar table, didn't even bother looking up when he heard Sideswipe's voice, "Hey."

"Hey," he grunted. He had expected Sideswipe to ask him what was wrong but there was none. The red mech silently sat down on the bar stool next to him, taking a sip from his high-grade glass. Sunstreaker felt through the bond a messy mixture of heavy feelings, regret, uncertainty, fear and, strangely, longing. Even though he wished to comfort his brother, his spark was, too, weighted down by those similar emotions and unable to provide any consolations.

"Have you talked to Dino about your brother?" Sideswipe finally spoke up first. Sunstreaker looked up from his drink and noticed a shade of discomfort in Sideswipe's smile.

Narrowing his optics, the yellow mech leaned closer to him and asked, "Sides, what's wrong?"

"What do you mean?," Sideswipe tried to grin wider, "Nothing's wrong."

Sunstreaker scowled, "You're lying."

It was weird. It was like sensing Sideswipe's lies as if they were his own. It was like every time he felt like his brother had done something guilty.

_It was like..._

_No, couldn't be_. Sunstreaker dismissed the sudden thought and tried to focus on the red mech.

Sideswipe knew he couldn't hide anything from Sunstreaker. But he didn't want the yellow mech to know what he and Lockdown had been talking about. Against all of the right things, Sideswipe had accepted Lockdown's business deal in order to end Sunstreaker's contract. He told himself that Sunstreaker mustn't know about this deal, because it would anger him beyond any possibilities. How could Sunstreaker accept this while Sideswipe even hated himself for agreeing Lockdown's terms, turning his own lover into some kind of goods to be traded?

"Well...," Sideswipe sighed, "Just chatting with an old friend. He's in a bit of a trouble and I'm worried about him."

"Oh," came the yellow mech's response, "That's... too bad."

Sideswipe nodded, feeling guilty for not telling the truth to the mech he loved. But he had his reasons. Trying to change the topics, Sideswipe smiled again and asked with a playful tone, "I saw Jazz chatting with you. What did he say? Is he trying to flirt with you?"

Suddenly, for half a klik, Sideswipe caught a tint of panic scrolling through Sunstreaker's faceplate. It could be his imagination, or that mech actually had said something that made Sunstreaker uneasy.

"No," Sunstreaker replied, looking at the glass in his servo, "Just chatting. Didn't even know his designation. I don't care, though."

"Sunny, is everything alright?" Sideswipe put a servo on the yellow back.

Sunstreaker seemed reluctant, but nodded, "Can we... get out of here? I'm not feeling so well." He lied, he just wanted an excuse for Sideswipe to stop with the questioning.

Sideswipe stood up and left the Credits on the bar table, "Let's go home," he said, trying to smile at Sunstreaker. He knew the yellow mech didn't tell him the full story but he didn't want to make Sunstreaker feel uncomfortable, not to mention he, too, was hiding his deal with Lockdown from the yellow mech. The two mechs walked out the bar, not even looking back to answer to mechs who kept asking why they left so soon. Lockdown's deal kept spinning around Sideswipe's processor while Sunstreaker couldn't stop thinking about what he had agreed to do for Jazz.

They wanted to tell each other, to ask for help, or at least, just want to hear opinions on their troubling thoughts, but both were too afraid of the unknown and the worst possibilities that could happen, and also because they both knew too well their secret would hurt each other more than they could imagine. In the end, they transformed in silent and slowly drove away from  _The Illusionist_.

Meanwhile, on top of a building nearby, a mech clad in purple and black platings kept staring at them and as sudden as a gust of wind, disappeared.

* * *

_**Later, back at the Central Hospital...** _

"It was a Type-D energon type," Chromedome gave Prowl a datapad of the analysis of the energon found in the alleyway. Not long ago, while Prowl was staying here to observe Fixit at his work, Chromedome had received a comm and quickly left the hospital to go back to the HQ. He returned later with this datapad, which he eagerly showed it to his partner.

"Type-D energon comes in average price... he must be a middle-class mech," Prowl tapped a digit on the datapad, "Any high-grade or Opidium in this sample?"

"Interestingly, no," Chromedome said, "We have a middle-class mech who lives a very healthy life. I mean,  _'who lived'_."

"Let's do a little brainstorming session. What kind of mechs suits that description...," Prowl rubbed his chin and looked at his partner.

While Chromedome and Prowl was discussing with each other, Ironhide silently observed Fixit, who was still extracting data from Bluestreak's CPU. Memories of the time when he was still an Enforcer came back to him. He remembered all of the young mechs, the lessons he taught them, mostly tough and strict, but sometimes lighthearted. They all had looked up to him and he had sworn that he wouldn't let them down, would do his best to be an example. But in the end, he had done an unspeakable despicable thing and Ironhide knew there were nothing he could do to apology for betraying their trust and admiration. The only thing he could do right now was helping the mechs, whatever they needed. If only they let him ask them what was going on in Kaon...

"How's Sideswipe?"

Prowl's words woke Ironhide up from his memories and he turned to look at the white mech. Then it came to Ironhide that he had never said 'thanks' to Prowl for giving him advises.

"He's dating Sunstreaker," Ironhide said, "It's... it's good that I gave them a chance to be together. Thanks to your advice."

"Anytime, Ironhide."

Prowl simply nodded and then approached Chromedome again, probably having something to discuss with him. Ironhide was appreciated that the white Enforcer checked on him but he had tried to ask Prowl or Chromedome about the problem they were having, to see if he could offer any help. But every time he tried to speak, Fixit glared at him not with the friendliest optics and the other two Enforcers kept their discussions to themselves. Suddenly, Ironhide's comm link pinged and immediately after he saw the designation  _Sideswipe_ , he answered without wasting even half a klik. His spark suddenly throbbed in fear.

_::Sides, what is it? Did Sunstreaker-::_

_::No, no, we're fine. I just want to talk to you about something, that's all::_  Sideswipe quickly reassured him.

Ironhide sighed in relief,  _::What is it?::_

_::'Hide. I want to enter the Cybertron Grand Tournament::_

_::...What?::_  Ironhide couldn't believe what he just heard. Just about an orn ago Sideswipe had said that he wasn't interested in entering the  _CGT_.

 _::I want to test my skills. To see how far I can go this time,::_  Sideswipe continued.

_::Don't get me wrong, I want you to enter the tournament too but just why the change of spark?::_

_::I just...,::_  Sideswipe paused,  _::I think that I should stop running away from it::_

_::Did Sunstreaker have anything to do with this?::_

Sideswipe stayed silent for a few kliks,  _::Yes. He... he gave me a reason to believe in myself and... I have to be_ _ **brave**_ _for him::_

Ironhide's lips curved up. Not far from him, the old mech could hear Fixit's voice, announcing to Prowl and Chromedome that he had finished extracting the data and was now trying to decode it.

_::Then I guess we-::_

Ironhide was interrupt by the sudden sound of broken glasses of the window. He quickly turned his helm to look and spotted quick glimpse of the color purple passing by outside of the window and a round, small object being thrown inside the room.

"Shock grenade!"

Chromedome exclaimed and before anyone could acted, the grenade exploded. Immediately Ironhide felt an electric wave shooting through his frame, paralyzing all of his limps, corrupting his signal and disconnecting him from Sideswipe's comm. He fell down onto the floor, trying to send commands to his limbs to move but couldn't. Not far from him, Prowl, Chromedome and Fixit had fallen onto the ground and suffered the same in-stasis condition like him.

Kliks later, suddenly appeared out of nowhere in the middle of the room, was a winged mech with black and purple pain job. Ironhide widened his optics, spark raced in fear, in anger and hatred. He tried to move his mouth, to yell, to shout at the mech that had nearly offlined the mech he loved most but his frame had betrayed him.

"Long time no see, Ironhide."

Skywarp grinned at the Battlemaster and turned his back on him, walking towards the unconscious mech lying helplessly on the berth.

He was going to erase Bluestreak's data.


	8. Do it For Him

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sideswipe and Sunstreaker began to work and struggle on the deals with Lockdown and Jazz. The gladiator later followed Hook to find out about the mysterious mech that had hurt Sunstreaker but found so much more than he had expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the late update! I've been very busy these days! D:
> 
> Klik ~ a Cybertronian second
> 
> Cycle ~ a Cybertronian minute
> 
> Megacycle ~ a Cybertronian hour
> 
> Orn ~ a Cybertronain day
> 
> Quintun ~ a Cybertronian week
> 
> Diun ~ a Cybertronian month
> 
> Stellar cycle ~ a Cybertronian year

_Skywarp!_

Prowl mentally screamed at the purple and black mech. His frame was numb and there was nothing he could do aside lying helplessly on the floor, looking at the assassin as he resumed his role as an executioner about to end the young mech's databank. Just about an orn ago, he had promised to Bluestreak that he would have a talk with the Head Enforcer to have him transfer the young mech back to Praxus, to reunite with his cousin. Prowl still remembered the sad looks on Bluestreak as he kept saying how he had missed Smokescreen. How was he going to tell Smokescreen that he had failed his job as a mentor, that he had let Bluestreak get hurt and nearly offlined by an assassin? He could see the helplessness, the pain and the frustration in Chromedome's optics, lying next to him. Prowl knew that his partner was also carrying the same feelings as his. The Enforcer tried to move, to do anything, to keep sending commands to his limps but to no avail.

"Don't worry, you guys can move soon," Skywarp said, picking up the datapad that stored Bluestreak's codes from his CPU, "But not before I'm done with my job."

Panic hit all of the mechs inside the room like a falling meteor. They all knew what Skywap was about to do. Wanting to make sure that none could find out about what Bluestreak had seen, he would erase all of the data that Fixit had extracted from the young mech's CPU. Prowl growled, tried to move again but hopelessness invaded his spark as his limps still laid in silence on the hard floor. The assassin moved his digit up and down on the datapad and then with a single touch, he started to erase all of Fixit's hard work. Prowl could feel the anger radiating from the young doctor lying in front of him.

But it didn't stop there.

Prowl could see Skywarp tried to use the datapad to download all of the remaining codes and data inside Bluestreak's CPU. Since he wouldn't offline Bluestreak, he had to erase all of the remaining data inside his CPU in order to destroy all of the information that he didn't want anyone to know. And Skywarp wasn't Fixit, he wouldn't care if he broke Bluestreak or altered his personalities in the process. A mech was created not only by pieces of metals but also their codes and data. Fixing a frame was always easier than dealing with broken codes. There were always spare parts to replace damaged platings but the data was as irreplaceable as a mech's spark. There had been cases with mechs who had their codes missing or damaged and there weren't any happy endings to them.

And that unhappy fate would happen to Bluestreak anytime soon now.

Never before had Prowl felt this helpless. And he knew all of the mechs inside this room beside Skywarp felt the same way. His spark almost stopped pulsing as he saw Bluetreak's lines of codes and commands running on the datapad in Skywarp's servos, slowly disappeared as they were being deleted. He could see a smirk on Skywarp's faceplate and he mentally screamed at himself to fragging  **move**. But he couldn't, no matter how hard he had tried to defy the effect of the shock grenade.

He was losing Bluestreak.

How had he not noticed it sooner that Bluestreak had drifted away from them? If he had, then Bluestreak wouldn't have to act alone and get hurt. If he had, then Bluestreak wouldn't be the only one had seen things he shouldn't have. If Prowl or Chromedome had been there with him...

At the time all hope seemed to have lost, the room's door suddenly slid opened and Skywarp quickly turned his helm around. His crimson optics widened for a moment and then a smile appeared on his faceplate immediately after. Standing at the door were two mechs with yellow and red pain jobs, tall and strong. Same-frame with little differences.

"Skywarp...?"

The red one looked at the assassin with shocked faceplate and frozen frame. But the yellow mech, as if had noticed the paralyzed mechs on the floor and the meaning of Skywarp's appearance, had quickly run past his friend and towards the purple and black mech. For a klik, Prowl had thought Skywarp was about to fight back the angry yellow mech who was rushing toward him. But he was wrong. Before the yellow bot could reach him, Skywarp had teleported away, letting the datapad falling onto the berth next to Bluestreak's helm.

The assassin appeared on the sky, outside of the window. He looked back into the room, staring at the red mech who was now glaring at him with too many emotions, "My ex and his whore. Interested," Skywarp chuckled, transformed into his Alt mode and then teleported away and this time, for good.

* * *

"Why don't you tell me Skywarp is back?"

Sideswipe almost yelled at Ironhide, only calmed down a bit when he felt Sunstreaker's servo touch his shoulder. The gladiator had panicked and been on edge when his comm with Ironhide was suddenly disconnected. The two young mechs had tried to comm and ask all of the old mech's acquaintances and finally one had pointed them towards the Central Hospital.

The effect of the shock grenade had cooled down a few cycles after Skywarp had escaped. Fixit, along with a doctor of the hospital, was now checking on Bluestreak to make sure he was alright. Meanwhile, Prowl and Chromedome was talking to the security guards of the place to find out what had led to their unacceptable slow response to the assassin's attack. It turned out Skywarp had infiltrated and neutralized all of the guards with the familiar shock grenades before proceeding with his plan to go after Bluestreak's data. Security guards and Enforcers like him were only authorized to carry laser pistols and handcuffs while assassins or well-funded mercenaries always had more dangerous yet effective weapons, modifications and equipment. Most of their weapons and implants were acquired through black market since it was illegal for citizens to carry those things. With Skywarp having shock grenades with teleportation implant, the guards were his easy opponents.

Meanwhile, Ironhide was sitting on the floor, back leaning against the wall, blaming himself for failing to look out for the young mechs and let Sideswipe see Skywarp was back. "I can't," Ironhide replied, "I saw how happy you were with Sunstreaker and I knew that once I told you about Skywarp, you wouldn't be able to let him go and enjoy the life you deserve with your lover."

Sideswipe sighed. Of course, he had been shocked to see Skywarp, to see the mech whom he had loved, the mech that had almost offlined him again. It was not an experience that could easily be let go of. Even though he was still angry because Ironhide didn't tell him about Skywarp, he understood why the old mech had done so.

"You're wrong," Sideswipe frowned, voice softened as he pull Sunstreaker closer to him. The red mech looked at his lover then said to Ironhide, " **He**  has taught me how to let go of Skywarp. No matter what will happen, Sunny will always be my  **first**  priority. I should have  **nothing**  to fear, nothing to care about Skywarp anymore."

Ironhide seemed to be surprise at Sideswipe's response. He had thought that the red mech would be angry, would be shock, and would be in a series of depression and mood-swing since he would remember what Skywarp had intended to do to him. He had never thought that Sideswipe would actually let Skywarp go and focus on starting his life again, turning Skywarp's bleeding wounds into scars, living without fear and obsession of the past. Just about a megacycle ago, Sideswipe had told him he wanted to test his skills in the  _Cybertron Grand Tournament_ , because Sunstreaker had given him a reason to be brave. And now Sideswipe was telling him he was able to let Skywarp go because of Sunstreaker.

Sunstreaker was able to accomplish things Ironhide had tried to do for so many stellar cycles in just about two orns.

Parts of the old mech were afraid of the influences Sunstreaker had on his adopted sparkling, but he had to admit Sideswipe was becoming a better mech thanks to him. His spark suddenly throbbed in pain at the vision in which Sideswipe no longer needed him, or Sunstreaker manipulated him into doing bad things. There was a reality he had to accept; sooner or later he would lose Sideswipe to Sunstreaker. The old mech turned to look at Sunstreaker. He didn't know whether to tell him to stay away from his sparkling or to thank him. He had wanted Sideswipe to be happy, and Sunstreaker was the answer. And now when he saw how happy, how better Sideswipe had become, his fear grew because he knew one day, Sideswipe would chose Sunstreaker over him.

He wasn't ready to let Sideswipe go.

In the end, he stayed silent and looked away from the yellow mech. Sunstreaker didn't seem to mind his unfriendly attitudes. Maybe he understood, or maybe he just didn't care.

"Skywarp was going after Bluestreak's data," Ironhide finally said, "You should stay here with me, Sides. Just in case..."

"If Skywarp's target was me, he would have approached and offlined me already," Sideswipe cut him off, "There were plenty of opportunities for him. And why did he have to wait for such a long time to come back here just to offline me? And do you really think anyone would hire him to repeat an assassination contract that he had failed once?"

Ironhide frowned and suddenly realized Sideswipe had good points. Both Prowl and Chromedome had turned their optics to the red mech. Meanwhile, Fixit was still working on Bluestreak, checking on the datapad that stored his codes. The security guards and the doctor had left the room at this point, after being carefully told by the Enforcers to keep their optics on Bluestreak.

"Sides, we can't be sure that you aren't his target...," Ironhide stood up, looking at the gladiator.

"And we can't be sure that I'm his target, either," Sideswipe quickly said, "Ironhide, I know you're worried about me. But I can take care of myself. I'm ready to let Skywarp go. I'm ready to face him not as an ex-lover but as a gladiator who is ready to punch him right in his face the next time I see him. If you want me to stay here, I will. If Prowl and Chromedome needs help in looking out for Bluestreak, I will help them, too."

"It's alright, Sides," Chromedome suddenly said, voice breaking up, "Skywarp had erased all of the data and codes inside Bluestreak's CPU. There should be no other reasons for him to hurt him."

"You guys should leave. You too, Ironhide," Fixit gripped the datapad hard, voice filled with rage, "Thanks for nothing. I don't understand why Prowl asked you for help."

"Fixit...," Prowl sighed.

"Was there  **anything**  he actually did to help you two? He did  **nothing**  beside standing in a corner and looking around. He knew  **nothing**  of what you guys were doing and he should have warned us about Skywarp!"

"Fixit, it happened too fast," Chromedome said.

"Fast? If he  **actually**  did his job, then he could have noticed Skywarp outside of the window before he threw that fragging grenade into the room!" Fixit stood up and yelled at Chromedome, throwing a hurtful and angry glare towards the old mech, "He could have warned us! And I could have unplugged the datapad and hid it away! We could have known what Bluestreak had seen!"

"And what? Do you think Skywarp wouldn't throw that grenade into our room if Ironhide saw him? Do you think you can unplug the datapad without harming Bluestreak? Do you think you can hide it away just in time before the grenade exploded?" Prowl crossed his arms, optics fixing at the datapad on the berth instead of other mechs, "And what makes you think that Skywarp wouldn't offline Bluestreak to shut him off for good?"

Fixit froze, staring back at Prowl. The white mech continued, "If Sideswipe and his friend weren't here in time, Bluestreak could have lost all of his codes."

"He  **had**  lost all of his codes!"

"Check again. I'm not a doctor or a coder but I know a few things or two," Prowl picked up the datapad and shoved it into Fixit's servos, "Skywarp might be able to erase Bluestreak's data and codes but not his  **backup**  databank. Why don't you start recovering those instead of blaming Ironhide for something he couldn't do?"

The doctor frowned, looking back at the datapad in his servos and silently sat down on a chair nearby. Prowl walked towards Ironhide, looking at the old mech and the other two young mechs, "I'm sorry you guys are involved in this."

"I want to help, Prowl," Ironhide said, frame still shook in shame and anger, "But... Fixit is right. I can't do anything."

"Ironhide, we can't do this by ourselves. No one could expect Skywarp would act so sudden..."

"It's not just about Skywarp," Ironhide sighed, "You and Chromedome. You said you  **trusted**  me. And yet the only task you gave me was babysitting Bluestreak. I'm not an Enforcer anymore, Prowl. I'm not allowed to carry weapons or anything that can help you fight back Skywarp or whatever you guys are investigating on.  **How**  can I help you if you don't tell me the full story? You think I didn't try to ask? Every time I tried to ask, I saw Fixit glaring at me and you two were too busy discussing with each other and shut  **me**  out."

Prowl was silent, optics looking down at the floor.

"We can't go back to the way we used to be, Prowl," Ironhide continued, "I know you guys expected me to help you, to accompanied you in solving crimes like good old times. But so many things have changed. With Skywarp is back and we don't know if his target is Sideswipe or not..."

He stopped to look at Sideswipe and Sunstreaker, who had been silent the whole time after Fixit's outburst, "...I have to look out for Sideswipe. He said he could take care of himself but I'm his caretaker, I have to help him, too. He's  **my**  first priority and I hope you understand."

Prowl offlined his optics for a few kliks. It was hard to know what he was thinking. Even Chromedome was now looking at him. What Ironhide had been saying was true. They hadn't meant to shut him out since they were still not sure about the whole thing and were trying to connect all of the dots. They had intended to tell Ironhide about the Opidium smuggling and the suspected murder case when the time was right. But after what had happened and Ironhide had stated that Sideswipe was his first priority, there were no points in forcing the old mech to help them.

"We understand," Prowl finally onlined his optics, "We're sorry for all of this."

"I'm sorry, too," Ironhide nodded, then turned to the red and yellow mechs, "Let's go home."

Prowl looked at the three mechs as they left the room. His spark felt so heavy, knowing he, Chromedome and Fixit would truly be alone in this corrupted city. The only clue, his only hope was lying on the datapad that stored all of Bluestreak's codes. He called after the mechs right before the moment the door shut tight.

"Look out for the sky."

* * *

_**The morning came.** _

_**At the Nuts 'n' Screws...** _

Lockdown leaned against the window in his office, optics strayed to the view outside, to the boring, repetitive scene he had seen almost every orn. He looked back at the datapad in his servos and wondered if things would go smoothly. He had thought Sunstreaker wouldn't return and had intended to send mechs to go looking for him. But the yellow mech remembered his words and returned to the brothel in the morning of the third orn after his two orns off.

And... it had been weird.

Because Lockdown had received a comm from him not long after. Sunstreaker told him that he needed to see him and there were some important things he wanted to say. The weird thing was he spoke with a soft voice, without the usual grunting and angry tone. The voice that had taken Lockdown back to the first orns they had become lovers. He wondered what had happened during his stay with Sideswipe. It was unlikely that their relationship would end, since the gladiator had agreed to do whatever it took to free Sunstreaker from his lifetime contract.

Lockdown sighed and threw the datapad on his desk. He had to be ready for anything. Sunstreaker could be dangerous if he wanted to. The yellow mech was strong, a lot stronger than him. He could have snapped his neck and escaped this place easily. And for Sunstreaker, he wouldn't care if he had to offline a mech to earn his freedom. The switch was the only thing that could hold him back, like chaining a dangerous predator. The black and green mech stopped in front of Sunstreaker's quarter, unlocking and started walking inside. His red optics fixed on the yellow mech sitting on the berth.

"What is it you want to talk about, Sunshine?" still keeping his  _'confident and witty'_  act, Lockdown smirked.

Sunstreaker, strangely, didn't show any signs of anger. He was quiet, too quiet, as if he was deep in thoughts. Lockdown kept his distance from the mech, be ready for anything. Finally, Sunstreaker looked at him and slowly lift a servo up, "Lockdown, come here."

Lockdown narrowed his optics, "I don't think so, Sunshine."

"If you're so afraid, then activate the switch," Sunstreaker calmly replied.

"Did you just tell me to activate the switch?" Lockdown took a step backward. For a moment, he had thought the mech sitting there wasn't Sunstreaker. The yellow mech hated and despised that switch and he had never asked Lockdown to activate it before.

Suddenly, Sunstreaker stood up from the berth and started walking towards Lockdown. For a klik, Lockdown had almost activated the switch. It was not the first time Sunstreaker approached him but usually they involved yelling and growling and rushing. He stood still, the servo with the switch moved behind his back, be ready for anything.

A couple of steps later and Sunstreaker was now standing too close to him. Suddenly, Lockdown felt a servo touch his faceplate and he almost stopped venting.

"I've been thinking...," Sunstreaker said, "During two orns staying with Sideswipe, I realized something."

Lockdown didn't say anything; optics kept staring into the yellow mech.

"I realized that...," Sunstreaker paused, digits gently caressed the other mech's faceplate, "I realized that I  **still**  love you."

"Sunshine, are you trying to seduce me?" Lockdown shivered at the light touch.

Sunstreaker offlined his optics and sighed, "I want... to  **love**  you again. And I want you to... love me  **again**."

"What games are you trying to play, Sunshine? You think confessing your love will make me end your contract?" Lockdown growled, feeling his self-control slipping away.

"I don't care about the contract," Sunstreaker grunted and Lockdown couldn't believe what he had just heard, "I just want to be with you. I don't care if I have to be a pleasure mech and let others touch me. I... I just want to... at least let me be with  **you**... once an orn is enough."

Lockdown replied, "This isn't you, Sunshine. What are you trying to do? Getting close to me then offline me?"

"I'll let you... activate the switch or tie me up. I'll... submit to you in whatever way you want," suddenly, Sunstreaker moved a servo down onto Lockdown's codpiece and leaned closer, whispering into his audial, "Make me yours. Love me. Use me. Just like you used to..."

Lockdown growled and his self-control shattered into pieces. He grabbed Sunstreaker's throat and slapped his servos away, pushing the yellow mech onto the ground and sitting on top of him.

"I ask again. What are you trying to do?" he grabbed the yellow mech's throat tighter.

Sunstreaker choked, "I...I... just... want... to be...with... you."

Lockdown still didn't look convinced.

"I... I  **love**  you."

Sunstreaker whispered, looking back at him with pleading and hurtful optics and Lockdown couldn't help but loosening his grip. Those were the looks that had broken his spark more than once. This faceplate, these lips, these optics, this frame, had once been his. To love. To cherish. Ever since tricking Sunstreaker into signing the contract, Lockdown had convinced himself that he had lost his dear Sunshine forever. But what Sunstreaker had been saying...

Was there a chance that they could start again?

"Sunshine...," Lockdown softened his voice, didn't know what to say. He lowered his helm and forcefully kissed the slightly parted lips in front of him. To his surprise, Sunstreaker opened his mouth to welcome his glossa and responded to the kiss. The yellow mech ran a servo on his shoulder and Lockdown immediately stopped the kiss and grabbed his throat tighter, "Get your servos off me."

Sunstreaker seemed hurt and there was a tint of annoyance passing by on his faceplate, but he obediently did as Lockdown said, leaving his servos on either side of his frame. The black and green mech tightened his grab around the yellow mech's neck, "Listen. I'll tie you up. I'll frag you from behind. You don't get to move. You don't get to talk. And most importantly, you're not allowed to touch me. If you touch me, I'll activate the switch and leave you at once," he growled. Although in his processor, what he was trying to say was he wanted to be with him, to hold and to love him again, like they had used to. But he knew if he showed a moment of weakness, Sunstreaker would use it to influence him to end the contract, or even worse, the yellow mech would even offline him. He still didn't know if Sunstreaker was truly honest about being with him and the yellow mech wasn't known for being gentle and naive.

Lockdown needed to maintain Sunstreaker's contract in order to manipulate Sideswipe. He needed the Opidium.  _He needed..._

"Do you hear me?" Lockdown growled again, trying to act intimidating, trying to stop all of the apologies from flooding out of his mouth.

Sunstreaker frowned, and silently, he nodded. Lockdown offlined his optics for a klik to calm himself down and then onlined them again. He let go of the yellow mech's throat and stood up, "Get on your berth. Lie on your front and lift your aft up," he commanded.

Sunstreaker seemed hesitated, but nonetheless did as he said. He stood up, crawled back to his berth and lied down on his front, lifting his aft up and spreading his legs. Lockdown gasped at the scene, and remembered their old, loving times together before all of this had happened. The black and green mech approached Sunstreaker, climbed onto the berth and positioned himself behind him. A servo ran down on the yellow backstrut, the other caressed the mech's thighs and his codpiece. It had been too long since the last time Sunstreaker willingly submitted to him like this, "Open," he growled into the yellow mech's audial and received a moan from him in return. Kliks later, Sunstreaker opened his valve cover and Lockdown immediately ran his digits around its rim.

Lockdown was not a violent mech. While he acted intimidating, he would never hurt Sunstreaker in interfacing and he would always make sure the yellow mech was ready to take his spike. His spark pulsed in needs and pain. He had wanted to do this to Sunstreaker without activating the switch for so long. His processor replayed the time when he first entered the yellow mech, hearing his needy moan and demand, breaking his seal and seeing the small trail of energon leaking out of his valve. He had heard and seen Sunstreaker's blissful laugh, his softer, caring and sensitive side, so unlike the tough and rude mech he usually acted.

And he had also heard and seen Sunstreaker's cries, his bitter look and his pain of being betrayed and having to let strangers use his frame in whatever ways they wanted.

It pained Lockdown knowing it was him who pushed his lover into that position. And it pained him even more when he realized he  **had**  to do so.

The black and green mech felt a sudden anger rising inside him when he push a digit into Sunstreaker's valve and couldn't reach the seal. Of course. What was he expecting? Sideswipe must have taken Sunstreaker's seal. Those two orns off alone with Sunstreaker was a perfect opportunity for him. Lockdown let out a frustrated sigh as he remembered the gladiator's confirming grin back at the bar.

That slagger had broken the seal. Not him.

He growled in irritation into Sunstreaker's audial as his temper was getting worse at the thought, "Did he have you on your knees and servos like this? Did he have you begged for his spike?" another digit joined with the first, thrusting deeper into the valve.

Sunstreaker only whined and offlined his optics in return. Lockdown frowned and bit the helm fin a little too hard that caused the yellow mech to yelp, "I won't let him touch you again, Sunshine."

And then he whispered, voice breaking up and rough with static before adding the third digit into the quivering valve.

"You're  **mine** , my little turbofox."

* * *

_**The night before back at The Illusionist...** _

"Call me  **Jazz**. And I'm your ticket to  **freedom.** I know a way to get you out of Lockdown's brothel for good. But I need you to do as  **I**  say..."

"And I should believe you because...?"

Sunstreaker growled, optics fixed on the music mixer. Jazz grinned and took a sip from his glass of high-grade, "Because you have other options of getting out of there?"

The yellow mech growled, "That doesn't mean I have to trust you."

Jazz sighed, "Look, let's put it this way. I can help you. But I need your help first. I have reasons to believe Lockdown is involved in an Opidium trade. And Opidium is a banned mineral on Cybertron..."

"...I know what the frag it is," Sunstreaker growled, remembering the times he was forced to swallow that mineral, "A  **fragger**  drugged me with it."

"Do you know who he is?"

"No, pleasure mechs aren't allowed to know their clients' designations. He's big, dark blue paint job and red optics. No masks. No visors. Plain and ugly faceplate. He had wheels, probably a grounder."

Jazz stroke his chin, "I saw Lockdown chatting with him once in here. He could be the Opidium smuggler, or simply someone who got it from him. But it's still  **not**  enough. We don't know if Lockdown was aware of that mech bringing the mineral to the brothel, not to mention we know nothing about him aside from his appearance. We need evidences where Lockdown was directly involved in the smuggling. Until we get proofs, we can't get a permission for extracting data from Lockdown's CPU."

Sunstreaker slammed his glass onto the bar, "You're an Enforcer?"

"No, but similar," Jazz grinned, "Just someone who had the ability to take Lockdown away and free you from his contract."

Sunstreaker frowned, looking down at his glass, "And you want me to get close to Lockdown. You want me to  **spy**  on him."

"Smart," Jazz pointed a digit towards the yellow mech, "We ran a little background check and learned that you used to be his lover."

"Doesn't mean he still loves me and let me spy on him," the yellow mech snorted, "Why don't you go after the other fragger instead?"

"Oh, we definitely  **will**. In time," Jazz grinned, "Lockdown is careful and suspicious of everything and everyone around him. Getting close to him isn't an easy task. But you have history with him, he will maybe... listen to you."

Sunstreaker scowled and suddenly a wave of disgust hit him, "You want me to seduce him?"

"Well, it's up to you," Jazz shrugged and took another sip of high-grade, "I'll send you my comm link signature and you can usually find me here. If you don't want to do this, it's fine. But don't you want a little  **payback**  for what he's done to you?"

Sunstreaker shot him a glare, "You  **knew**  he tricked me?"

"Just recently found out from one of Lockdown's acquaintances. But the contract was legal with  **your**  signature on it. And it's gonna take more than your words to prove Lockdown tricked you," Jazz said, "The only way to end the contract is to prove Lockdown being involved in a  **more**  serious crime."

The music mixer stood up from the bar stool, "More than anything, you  **want**  to be with Sideswipe, don't you?"

After that, he walked away, leaving Sunstreaker alone with his thoughts.

* * *

_**The present...** _

Sunstreaker onlined his optics, staring at the ceiling then turning to look at the black and green mech lying next to him, memories of his past conversation with Jazz coming back to him. He hated himself for doing what he was doing right now, seducing Lockdown and submitting to him. But he told himself if he loved Sideswipe, this was something he had to do. He couldn't wait for a miracle to happen. This was his mistake for trusting Lockdown, and he had to fix this and save himself.

He would get close to Lockdown, trick him like he had done to him long ago, earn his trust and find the evidence for Jazz to get rid of him. He wondered how Lockdown would look when he found out the yellow mech's scheme, when every words of  _'I love you'_  Sunstreaker had been telling him were lies. It sounded cruel and perfect in his processor. But when it came to the execution, Sunstreaker had to battle with his disgust and shameful feelings he had when Lockdown fragged him, pinning him on his front and thrusting into him with a surprisingly gentle pace. Sunstreaker had thought he could suppress the negative feelings by imagining Lockdown was Sideswipe. But the black and green mech constantly reminded him with possessive words that  _'Sideswipe would never touch him again'_  and that  _'he was his'_. When Sunstreaker felt Lockdown's transfluid inside him, he had to push himself towards the overload, trying to picture his time with Sideswipe and their megacycles of interfacings.

_Do it for him. Do it because you love him._

Sunstreaker silently sobbed at the reminder, jumping around in his processor. He wanted to cry, wanted to find Sideswipe and fall into his opened arms. It had taken all of his courage to comm Lockdown and ask him to love him. And it had taken all of his determination not to scream at Lockdown, not to tell him to get away from him and to lie down and let him use him whatever way he wanted. His spark was hurt, and he felt through the bond his twin brother was also not feeling well. They tried to send to each other consolations, but in the end, both were being in too much distress and Sunstreaker growled in frustration at not being to comfort his brother. He tried to comfort himself, kept reminding him that this was but a small sacrifice to earn his freedom and to be together with the mech he loved. He told himself to stop being selfish and do his best to get Lockdown arrested, because only when he would be able to love Sideswipe with all he got, to bond and start a family with him even.

But he couldn't help but wanted Sideswipe to be with him, not Lockdown. He wanted Sideswipe to be the one who was wrapping his arms around him, not Lockdown.

And through the bond, Sunstreaker could feel the longing, the desire almost as identical as his.

His two orns off with Sideswipe were his most wonderful time, aside from his agreement with Jazz, Sideswipe keeping things from him, and Skywarp's sudden appearance back at the Central hospital. He remembered their time back at the construction site, their first interfacing, their non-stop fraggings that had sent Ironhide away, and their talk with Ratchet. Now Sunstreaker was lying here, looking at the ceiling as a sudden question popped inside his processor as he arranged all of the tiny pieces of memories together.

_Why Sideswipe always had the same feelings as he and his twin brother?_

When Sideswipe tried to cheer Sunstreaker up back at the arena, he felt through the bond a similar effort to make him happy. When they were back at the construction site, his brother had been feeling confused, happy, horny and even angry, just like him and Sideswipe. And when they were together at Sideswipe's apartment, Sunstreaker couldn't even contain all of the happiness pouring into his system by his and his twin's sparks. And finally, back at  _The Illusionist_ , Sideswipe had been trying to hide something from Sunstreaker, and he immediately noticed the guilt through the twins bond. It seemed to be Sideswipe could also pick up his similar feeling too, as the red mech had no doubt known Sunstreaker had been hiding things from him too.

In the three orns that Sideswipe and Sunstreaker hadn't seen each other, his brother's spark had been in serious distress. Only after they had made up and shared their first kiss, his brother's pain and troubling emotions strangely disappeared. When Sunstreaker first met Sideswipe, why had he been feeling like they had known each other for stellar cycles?

_As if..._

Sunstreaker widened his optics at the revelation.  _No, no, no. It can't be. It can't be._  He thought, panicking and trying to convince it couldn't be the truth. It must have been a coincidence that Sideswipe and his brother shared the same feelings.

_Sideswipe couldn't be his brother._

Ratchet had told him about twins, had told him that they were identical. Sideswipe did share similarities to him but they weren't exactly looked alike.  _There couldn't be..._  Sunstreaker panicked, and suddenly realized how much he had loved Sideswipe, how many times they had fragged and how many kisses they had given each other. All shattered and tainted at the thought of them being brothers.

_No, no, no. He couldn't love his own twin brother. It was wrong. Sideswipe couldn't be his brother._

He kept mumbling inside his processor, trying to calm himself down. It must have been a coincidence. There were no proofs. There was  **nothing**. His brother must be someone else, not Sideswipe, not the mech he had loved and trusted with all of his spark, not the mech he had kissed and interfaced with. Sideswipe couldn't be his twin-

"Sunshine?"

Sunstreaker startled at his own designation. He turned to see Lockdown had onlined his optics and looked at him, "What's wrong?". His voice was too soft, too gentle, unlike the possessive, intimidating mech he had been when he fragged him.

Sunstreaker shook his helm, "Just... remember the time we were together. And the time... you tricked me," lying was the only way Sunstreaker could do right now.

Lockdown didn't reply, but tightening his embrace around the yellow mech, And then, suddenly, he leaned closer to kiss Sunstreaker, using his glossa to push the lips apart.

Sunstreaker unwillingly opened his mouth. His frame slightly twitched when he felt a servo reached down to his interface parts and started rubbing them. He offlined his optics, and let Sideswipe's faceplate appeared before him.

_Do it for him. Do it because you love him._

* * *

_**Meanwhile, at the Kaon Arena...** _

Ironhide's paranoid was getting worse. Sideswipe looked at the old Battlemaster as he walked in front of him, heading outside of the office after they had registered for the  _Cybertron Grand Tournament_. Things had happened too fast. Sideswipe had been enjoying his happiness of being with Sunstreaker, then came his deal with Lockdown, and finally, seeing Skywarp again in the Central Hospital and witnessing Fixit's anger towards Ironhide.

After what had happened back at the Central Hospital, Ironhide had told Sideswipe that he wouldn't leave his side until Skywarp was found and locked up in prison. Even worse, Ironhide had lashed out at Sunstreaker when Sideswipe asked the yellow mech to recharge with him one more night before going back to the  _Nuts 'n' Screws_. Sideswipe had to stand up and almost yelled at Ironhide for his unreasonable anger at Sunstreaker. The argument had been fierce, and Sunstreaker had to pull Sideswipe away before he actually punched Ironhide. But the red mech had shoved him away and stormed towards Ironhide. The Battlemaster made the first move by punching Sideswipe and told him how naive he had been, pouring all of his stress, his fear, his anger and disappointment, mostly at himself, towards his adopted sparkling. Deeply hurt by his caretaker's words, Sideswipe had yelled back at him for being paranoid, and accusing him for being useless, for not being able to do anything with his temper. They fought, after that. Fists against faceplates, hurtful words against throbbing sparks. In the end, Sunstreaker had to jump in between them.

Sunstreaker, the yellow pleasure mech, single handedly shoved both of the raging red mechs away from tearing each other apart with his own strength. A kind of strength that was usually expected from gladiators. But whatever it was, the two red mechs had cooled down after that. Sideswipe pulled Sunstreaker into his room, shutting the door tight despite Ironhide's angry demand of not turning his back on him. Behind the closed door, Sideswipe had sobbed, had angrily asked himself why Ironhide couldn't trust him no matter what he did, and let himself fall into recharge within the yellow mech's arms. Outside of his room, the duo could have heard the sound of breaking objects and Ironhide's angry ranting. Only when the morning came and the two young mechs opened the door had they found out Ironhide had been recharging on the floor, next to Sideswipe's room.

Ironhide had waked up when Sideswipe and Sunstreaker moved him to the couch. Immediately after, the old mech had apologized to Sideswipe for everything he had done and said, and the gladiator had also said he was sorry. After that, the old mech had said that Sideswipe should concentrate on the  _CGT_  and urged him to register his designation right on this orn. They had dropped Sunstreaker off at the brothel on their way to the Arena. The two young mechs had shared a long and deep kiss as a way to say  _'goodbye'_.

After signing his designation, Sideswipe learned that the tournament this time would take place in Iacon and immediately, Ironhide told Sideswipe to be ready to go there. It seemed to be, for Ironhide, it would be best if Sideswipe got out of Kaon and stayed away from Skywap. Leaving Kaon meant leaving Sunstreaker behind, and Sideswipe didn't want to be separated from the mech he loved most.

But he also had to do this, enter the tournament and win the championship. The winning price plus his savings should be enough to pay Lockdown. The competition would be fierce but he told himself if he loved Sunstreaker, he had to do this. He shivered at the old memories whereas he had been beaten and tossed away like scraps waiting to be recycled. But the horrible part wasn't about the wounds he had received, some medics had even thought he would be crippled for life, it was about the jokes and mocks mechs had given him. Telling him how weak he was. Telling him to go back home. They wouldn't care how hard he had tried or how their words had damaged him more than any injuries. It was all about the winners and the Credits they had bet to them.

Sideswipe would have to listen to all of those cruel words all over again. But he told himself as he remembered Sunstreaker and the opportunity to get him out of that place.

_Do it for him. Do it because you love him._

"Give me an orn or two to get ready, alright, 'Hide?" Sideswipe said as the two red mechs had stepped outside of the arena, "I... I need to tell this to Sunny."

Ironhide sighed, rubbing his forehelm, "We'll leave Kaon in tomorrow's morning."

Sideswipe looked at his caretaker and then silently nodded. They transformed and drove away from the arena, heading back to their shared apartment. Ironhide had told him that he would need to teach the young mech some strategies and techniques in prepare for the big competition. Sideswipe didn't objected, thinking it would be better if there were something to occupy their processor instead of the previous fight.

Suddenly, Sideswipe silently drove slower and when the old mech wasn't looking, he steered away. It wasn't that he wanted to go somewhere without the old mech. It was  **Hook**. Sideswipe spotted Hook driving on the opposite direction and couldn't help but follow him. He and Sunstreaker had seen the constructicons talking about something with the mech that had hurt his lover at the construction site at night. And he needed to know who that mech was, and what kind of conversation they were having.

This was something he had to do before leaving Kaon.

* * *

_**At the construction site...** _

"Going somewhere, Hook?"

A constructicon called out to Hook after he saw his friend leaving their working area. To him, it was strange to see Hook going work late and didn't seem to be able to focus on his current work. "Oh, just go dumping the wastes. It had been orns, I think it must have been full," Hook quickly replied and left the working area before his colleague could ask any more questions.

He transformed and drove not far from his working area to a secluded place behind the in-progress building, away from the optics of his friends. The constructicon looked at the huge waste container with four wheels and a hook on its left side and a big tube on the other side. This container was used for containing damaged goods, tools and scraps. The big tube was connected with smaller tubes that were placed all around the construction site so that mechs would be able to dump scraps into the container through them without going here and opening the lid. Usually when the container was full, constructicons would have to hook it to their Alt mode and drove it to the recycle factories, where these scraps would be recycled for creating newer and more useful materials.

Hook looked around and approached the container. As he was unlocking and about to open its lid, the constructicon jumped as he heard a voice ringing behind him, "Hard at work, I see."

"Oh Primus, Sides! Stop that!" he turned around to spot the red gladiator, looking at him with a smirk, "And didn't we tell you don't go to the construction site when we're still at work?"

"Oh, of course I remember. But this time's an exception," Sideswipe grinned and stepped closer to Hook.

Sensing something was wrong, the constructicon tensed and moved backward, away from the red mech, "What is it, Sides? Come on, I'm pretty busy right now. Can we talk later?"

Sideswipe didn't reply, and suddenly his grin disappeared as he pushed the constructicon against the container, "Who is  **he** , Hook? The big mech with dark blue paint job?"

"I don't know who you're talking about!"

"Don't lie to me, Hook. I know what I saw," Sideswipe growled, he wasn't in the best mood right now.

"I don't know!"

Sideswipe frowned. As he was about lose patience, the red mech noticed a trace of dry energon sticking on the container, "Is that... energon?"

Hook seemed nervous, "Maybe? Well, it's a waste container. All sorts of things go in there, right?"

Sideswipe let go of Hook and stepped closer to the waste container. The lid had already been unlocked, but still silently closed. As Sideswipe was about to touch the container, Hook grabbed his servo, "No, don't touch it!"

Sideswipe immediately shot Hook a glare. The constructicon stuttered, "I-It could be... dangerous!"

"What is going on here?"

Both Sideswipe and Hook turned to look at the group of constructicons approaching them, "Sides? You aren't supposed to be here right now."

"Guys, I told Sides but he didn't listen!" Hook told his colleagues.

"C'mon, Sides. We're gonna be in trouble in our boss sees you here. Give us a rest," a constructor sighed and walked closer to Sideswipe.

But the gladiator didn't seem to flinch or even back down. He shoved Hook aside and quickly pushed the lid opened. Before he could look inside, servos and arms from the constructicons had pulled him away from the container. Sideswipe growled, "There's something inside the container! Don't you see those are traces of Energon?"

"Sideswipe, just shut up!" a constructicon angrily said and helped his friends pulling the much stronger gladiator away.

"What is he talking about?" another constructicon, who stood closest to Hook, turned around and took a look inside the container.

Immediately, his frustrated expressions turned into shock and disgust as he yelled  _'oh Primus'_  and other mechs had to stop pulling Sideswipe as they heard his shocking statement.

"There's a  **corpse**  in here!"


	9. Tricks and Turns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prowl and Chromedome found a hook to connect the smuggling and murder case together. Meanwhile, Sunstreaker continued with his scheme against Lockdown.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's public holiday in Vietnam so I have a few days off to finish editing chapter 9 soon. :D Thank you so much for all of your support!
> 
> Klik ~ a Cybertronian second
> 
> Cycle ~ a Cybertronian minute
> 
> Megacycle ~ a Cybertronian hour
> 
> Orn ~ a Cybertronain day
> 
> Quintun ~ a Cybertronian week
> 
> Diun ~ a Cybertronian month
> 
> Stellar cycle ~ a Cybertronian year

"Ugh..."

Chromedome winced as he saw the Enforcers getting all of the parts that used to belong to a mech out of the waste container. The unfortunate mech had been dismembered and thrown into the container, waiting to be dump into the melting vast in a recycle factory somewhere. If it hadn't been for Sideswipe and the constructions here, that vision might have come true already.

The Enforcers put all of the parts onto the ground as they assembled them together in order to find out the mech's identity. Fixit was there, joining servos in helping them. Meanwhile, Prowl was talking with Sideswipe and the constructicons. The three of them had to respond to the emergency call and rushed here, but they didn't leave Bluestreak alone back at the hospital. Prowl had made sure to tell the security guards as well as doctors to keep an optic on the young mech and they must not leave him alone. Skywarp might have thought he had destroyed all of the necessary data but there was still a chance he found out not all of Bluestreak's codes had been erased.

Chromedome approached Fixit as he scanned the mech's energon type and his spark signal, all of the lethal wounds on his frame that led to his demise, and then collided them into a datapad. The doctor turned to look at his fellow Enforcer and gave the datapad to him, "Prowl might want to see this."

The orange mech nodded and took a look at the datapad. Fixit was right, Prowl would want to see this. He thanked the doctor and turned to walk towards to Prowl. The white Enforcer was still getting statements from the mechs that had found the corpse, including Sideswipe and Hook. Hook claimed that he didn't know there was a corpse in the container. His intention was simply doing his job and dumping the waste like any constructicons would do when the container was full. In his words,  _"I'm a victim of circumstances"_. And it was weird to see Sideswipe here at a construction site. The constructicons said that Sideswipe had a personal conflict with Hook and wanted to cause troubles with him here. Although Prowl suspected there were more to that.

"Why did you come here, Sideswipe?" Prowl asked the red mech.

Sideswipe glared at the constructicons, "To have a little chat with Hook. His friend hurt Sunny and I need to know who he was."

Prowl sighed, "You do know you're not allowed to come in here?"

"I know. But this is something I have to do," the red mech crossed his arms.

The white mech frowned, but didn't say anything and just typed into the datapad in his servo. He only stopped when he heard Chromedome calling his designation and received the datapad from him. Prowl quickly assigned his current task to another Enforcer and turned away. His digit surfed up and down on the datapad, letting the information pouring into his CPU.

"Energon Type-D. Burned marks on the neck. Cause of offline: damaged CPU. So that means we can't extract the data from him," Prowl hummed, "Faceplate was damaged beyond recognition. Helm was sliced into half. Dismemberment for easier disposing. Spark was missing so his Spark signal can't be traced."

"Whoever did this had done a throughout job," Chromedome added, "Without the Spark signal, we can't find out who this mech was. See here?" he swiped the screen and let Prowl see the images of the burned marks on the neck of the unfortunate mech, "These are burned marks from an electric rod. He neutralized the victim and then damaged his CPU. Weapons for these kinds of injuries aren't falling from the sky. This wasn't a normal attack, Prowl. Someone had planned for this to happen. This was definitely the work of an assassin."

"You mean  **Skywarp**."

"Who else?" Chromedome shrugged, "But he blew this off in the last cycle. He should have known that scraps inside waste containers will be examined before recycling and the victim will be found nonetheless. Unless,..."

Chromedome looked at Prowl, as if waiting for him to finish his sentence. The white mech frowned, quickly picked up where his partner had left, "...Unless he wasn't the one who hid the corpse."

"Exactly. This mech might be the one who actually shot Bluestreak. Skywarp stayed behind to erase Blue's data but was stopped by us. By the time we got there, this mech had brought the corpse away to the construction site. Blue must have not only seen the murder scene, but also the identity of Skywarp's partner as well."

Prowl tapped his chin, then lowered his voice for only Chromedome to hear, "A mech with a mini cannon. Coming to the construction site at night...," his optics strayed to the red gladiator standing not far from him, still answering questions from an Enforcer, "...I may need to talk to Sideswipe."

"Sideswipe?"

"No, that's not what I meant," Prowl quickly said as he understood what had caused the surprise of his partner, "I want to know what happened between him and Hook. Maybe he knew something about Hook that can help our investigation. Don't forget, that constructicon is the first one to approach the waste container."

"And now we have the Opidium smuggler, Skywarp  **and**  his friend to go after. Wonderful," Chromedome raised his servos up.

Prowl was about to say something but stopped as he saw a big, white and light green vehicle drove into the investigation scene. The car stopped and transformed into his root mode, a mech with the same color of his Alt mode and blue mask with red visor; the symbol of Kaon Enforcer stood out proudly on his shoulders. Both of Prowl and Chromedome sighed as they noticed he was approaching them. "Sir," they quickly nodded at him - the Head Enforcer of Kaon.

"What have you found? Have we known the identity of the victim yet?" the mech quickly said.

Prowl gave him the datapad, "Not yet, sir. We only know that his murderer had damaged his CPU and stolen his spark. So we might have to resort to other methods to identify this mech."

The Head Enforcer took a quick look at the datapad, "Anything else?"

Prowl and Chromedome exchanged a quick look before they answered at the same time, " _Nothing_  else, sir."

The Head Enforcer stared at the two mechs, as if trying to know if they were lying. Finally, he sighed and gave Prowl back the datapad, "Inform me immediately if you two find anything. I've had enough of mechs didn't listen to me and get themselves into troubles."

Quickly after that, he turned and walked towards Fixit and the Enforcers who were still working on the victim. Chromedome looked at the Head Enforcer, then at Sideswipe before turning them back at Prowl, "So... you wanna talk to Sides now?"

"Not now.  **Later** ," Prowl firmly stated, optics still fixed onto the back of the Head Enforcer as he was now talking with Fixit.

* * *

_**Megacycles later, back at the Nuts 'n' Screws...** _

Sunstreaker shivered as he felt a gentle touch on his cheeks, waking him up from his restless recharge, He slowly onlined his optics, longing to see the familiar faceplate of the red gladiator he loved, but disappointment filled his spark as he saw Lockdown instead.

"Rise and shine, Sunshine," the black and green mech grinned, "I have something I need to tell you."

The yellow mech grunted and sat up. Lockdown leaned forward to kiss his nose then continued, "You won't have to serve any mechs for awhile."

"...What?"

"I temporary closed down the brothel and sent all of my employees home while you were still recharging. It had something to do with my business so you don't need to know. I'm not sure when I'm going to reopen but for the time being, I can have you for myself."

Lockdown widened his grin and wrapped his arms around Sunstreaker. The yellow mech was still deadpanned because of what he had just heard. Temporary closed the brothel? His business? Did this have anything to do with the Opidium smuggling?

"Your business?" Sunstreaker repeated his words.

Lockdown let go of the yellow mech and climbed off the berth. He stood up, optics looking down at Sunstreaker, "Listen, Sunshine. I'll be honest with you. I don't trust you."

Sunstreaker gave him a glare.

"Both you and I know that you are stubborn, dangerous, grumpy, unstable, can be violent, and-"

"-I know what you mean."

Lockdown let out a laugh, "So you see. I don't trust you," suddenly he bowed down to stare into the yellow mech's optics, "But you're such a beautiful and feisty plaything that I can't ignore."

Sunstreaker tried so hard not to punch Lockdown, "Is that all I'm to you? A plaything? A mech to frag?" The yellow mech asked, wearing his sad and hurt faceplate. Sunstreaker couldn't help but noticed how hesitated Lockdown had become when he saw this faceplate of his.

And he wasn't wrong. Lockdown lost his confident and lopsided grin almost immediately and instead, was now looking back at him with a serious and regretful faceplate. Truthfully, whatever kind of answers Lockdown was about to giving him, Sunstreaker wouldn't care. He only wanted to get his trust and hopefully to dig some dirt that could send the slagger in a prison somewhere away from here. But what Lockdown said in return had really surprised him.

"No, you're not," Lockdown ran a digit on Sunstreaker's cheek, "I'm sorry for saying so."

Sunstreaker frowned again, "You're... sorry?"

"Sunstreaker...," Lockdown said in a serious tone, "It might seem weird to you but... I hurt you because I love you."

"You don't hurt the ones you love," Sunstreaker grunted, remembering his time with Sideswipe and the gentleness they had given each other.

"I know. But sometimes we don't have a lot of options to choose," Lockdown looked away, "I'll need to do some works in my office. See you later."

After that, he walked away from the berth, only stopped when he heard Sunstreaker asked, "Can I... go out?"

Lockdown thought for awhile before answering, "You can go out of your quarter. But not out of here. It's just for now, alright?"

After that, Lockdown left. Sunstreaker stared at the closed door, wondering what his ex-lover meant when he said he hurt him because of love. No, whatever reasons Lockdown had it wouldn't excuse for every thing that had happened to Sunstreaker. The yellow mech would never forgive him. He convinced himself this was some kind of a trick that Lockdown was playing on him to shut him up, or to weaken his will, or whatever it was.

Sunstreaker would never trust him again.

The yellow mech lied down on the berth and looked up to the ceiling. He pushed Lockdown away from his processor as it was now wandering to the memories zone of his two orns off, and to his panic of the possibilities that Sideswipe was his twin brother. What would happen if Sideswipe was truly his twin? Did that mean Sunstreaker will have to let him go, will never be able to kiss him and hold him again? Incest was considered a taboo within the Cybertronian society, because of the high chance that the offspring of a pair of brothers might carry bad codes. Of course Sunstreaker didn't intend to carry any sparklings soon, but loving his own twin was still wrong.

_No, Sideswipe couldn't be his brother._

Sunstreaker sighed, kept convincing himself that it was just a coincidence, and that they came from different backgrounds and they didn't look alike much. His spark calmed down a little, but soon whined in longing for the red mech. Sunstreaker traced back to Sideswipe's message, memorizing his comm link signature and wondered if he should call him. How was Sideswipe feeling now? Did he miss him like he missed him even though they hadn't seen each other for just couples of megacycles? Sunstreaker wanted to comm him, but at the same time he was hesitated. Hearing Sideswipe's voice would break his spark, knowing how he had hidden his agreement with Jazz from him, how he had seduced Lockdown. It made Sunstreaker feel like he was a cheater but he couldn't let Sideswipe know what he was doing, because Sideswipe wouldn't agree to all of this.

But in the end, he sighed, offlined his optics and started to comm the mech he loved most. Maybe just for one last time before he disappeared to continue with his scheme against Lockdown. Kliks later, Sideswipe replied with a chuckle,  _::Sunny? Miss me already?::_

_::Well... yeah... you can say that::_

_::Aw ~ Miss you too, Sunny. I'm going to stop by the brothel to see you now::_

_::Sides... Lockdown temporary closed the brothel::_

Sideswipe stayed silent for a few kliks,  _::Well, that's a good thing, right? You don't have to serve anyone and that means you can have some time off?::_

Sunstreaker sighed,  _::It's... It's complicated. I'm still not allowed to leave::_

_::What rights does Lockdown have to imprison my lover in that place? He has closed down the brothel that means you have your time off to do whatever you want::_  Sideswipe's voice was filled with irritation,  _::That's it. I'll go there and have a little chat with Lockdown::_

_::Sides, wait,::_  Sunstreaker quickly said,  _::There's something... I need to do. I may not be able to see you for some times::_

_::What? What do you mean?::_

_::I can't tell you. But this is something I have to do,::_  Sunstreaker sighed,  _::Let's... let's not meet for awhile::_

_::Sunny...,::_  Sideswipe raised his voice. He stayed silent for a while, as if was trying to figure what to say. Finally, he said,  _::I... I'm going to Iacon in tomorrow's morning and I won't come back until the end of the CGT. So... can I see you at least one more time before I go?::_

Sunstreaker widened his optics and his spark pulsed in sadness at what Sideswipe had just said. Diuns of separation. Full of restless recharges and waiting megacycles. But didn't that what he wanted? Sideswipe would be away from Kaon and wouldn't know what Sunstreaker was doing with Lockdown. By the time he came home, Lockdown would be locked up in a prison somewhere and Sunstreaker would be freed from his lifetime contact and then the two of them could be lovers.  _But still... the thought of not seeing each other for a long time..._

Sunstreaker knew this was not the most proper time to meet Sideswipe but the stubborn gladiator would personally drive here to see him if he said  _'no'_. And it would complicate things.  _A lot_. Sunstreaker sighed and told himself he had to do this.

_::I want to see you, too::_  Sunstreaker finally said,  _::I'll have a talk with Lockdown and comm you later::_

_::Are you sure you don't need my help in convincing him?::_ , Sideswipe joked, although Sunstreaker could still feel sadness in his voice.

_::Let me deal with him. I know a few things or two that can make him tick::_  Sunstreaker said firmly,  _::What about you? How are you doing?::_

_::Just found a corpse and had just been released from the Enforcers HQ. Now I'm bracing myself since Ironhide is on his way to pick me up::_

_::You found a corpse?::_  Sunstreaker repeated his words with surprise.

_::Here, let me tell you everything...::_

* * *

_**At the same time, at the Kaon Enforcers HQ...** _

"It's Hook."

Prowl's words made Chromedome turn around, away from the window and the view below, in which Sideswipe was standing in front of the HQ, a servo in his audial.

"So... you've asked Sideswipe," Chromedome said and pulled the chair next to Prowl's working desk to sit down.

Prowl nodded and took a quick look around the office, at the other Enforcers who were gathered around the Energon dispenser, chatting and laughing with each other. After making sure no one was listening to them, Prowl sat down on the desk in front of his partner, "I commed him after they finished getting statements from him. It turns out the constructicons allowed him to go the construction site but only at night. They didn't tell this to us because they were afraid of getting into troubles with their boss. Sideswipe had confirmed he saw Hook with another mech at the construction site during the night Blue got shot."

"Did he know who that mech was?"

"Sideswipe said that he was the mech that had hurt Sunstreaker," Prowl shook his helm.

"Hurt? Be more specific, will you?" Chromedome frowned.

"Rough interfacing."

"Oh."

Prowl looked around for a few kliks and then continued, "Sideswipe also said that Sunstreaker didn't want to talk about it so he didn't press him. But if there's anyone know about that mech well enough, it's Sunstreaker."

"Then I guess we need to have a chat with Sunstreaker," Chromedome said. Suddenly he noticed the hesitation in Prowl's optics, as if he had just said something wrong, "What?"

"Sideswipe also said that Sunstreaker was stubborn and ashamed of what had happened. He won't say anything."

"Great," Chromedome frowned and said sarcastically.

"That's why Sideswipe said that he would try to ask Sunstreaker out and be there when we asked him about that mech. He'll convince him to talk about him."

"...great," Chromedome commented again, without any sarcasm.

"But, only if we agree help him," Prowl raised a digit, "We need to help him getting Sunstreaker out of the brothel. Sideswipe said that Lockdown had tricked him into signing a lifetime contract and that he knew important mechs that could easily dismiss the case."

"I'd like to see him try. But this isn't the first non-consensual contract case. It's going to be hard. But I'm onto it," Chromedome nodded.

Prowl smiled, "Anyhow, we finally found the link between the Opidium smuggling case and the murder case."

"A  _'Hook'_  to connect them together," Chromedome snorted, "The irony never ceases to amaze me."

The white mech laughed and jumped off the desk, "We'd better get to work then. Let's finish up our reports for the Chief and get out of here. You'll find and deal with Hook while I'll go with Sideswipe to meet Sunstreaker."

He walked back to his desk, only stopped a moment to turn around to look at his partner, "Oh, and remember to comm Fixit and tell him to meet us at the Central Hospital. We'll ask him to look out for Blue while we go after Hook and this mysterious mech."

* * *

Lockdown buried his helm in both of his servos, elbows resting on the desk. His processor kept replaying his previous time with Sunstreaker. The yellow mech had let him kiss him, embrace him, love him like the old times. Although there had been so many times Lockdown almost crumpled down and cried and asked for Sunstreaker's forgiveness. He had tried so hard to keep up his sadistic, intimidating and the worst of the worst things a mech could have. He had tried so hard to smile, to mock, to insult the mech he loved most while his spark hated himself and screamed at him to stop  _fragging_  lying. It wasn't exactly the right time for touching Sunstreaker like that but Lockdown couldn't hold himself against the sight of his ex-lover seducing and submitting to him.

He checked his communication logs and received a lot of concern messages from his employees, asking about his sudden order of closing the brothel. "Personal business" was the only response he gave them. Lockdown didn't consider himself to be a good mech but he did care about his employees, whether they were pleasure mechs or simply security guards or other staff. After all, they had helped him a lot throughout the stellar cycles he had been doing business with this place. No one knew about his real intention of doing this kind of service, or about Sunstreaker, though. That was one of the reasons why he closed down the brothel.

Because he knew everything was about to come to an end. And it would also mean his disappearance, his disconnection to everything in this city.

Even Sunstreaker.

The foremost reason of closing down the brothel was because of Sunstreaker. He saw no other reason to let Sunstreaker serve strangers after his previous display of affection. How? How could he let others touch him after he kept telling him he loved him? It could be a lie and Lockdown knew it too well but what if it was true? Even though he had a camera inside Sunstreaker's room, he had never used it to watch his ex-lover being touched by other mechs. It was too painful to watch. The Credits for the Opidium were being taken care of and Sunstreaker wouldn't need anyone else but Lockdown now, thus minus the need for a brothel.

When Sunstreaker asked him how he could silently sit in his office and let that mech drugged and fragged him against his will, Lockdown had wanted to say that he didn't know because he couldn't bear to look at the screen. Only when he gathered enough courage to turn on the monitor had he realized it had been too late.

_"Lockdown?"_

Sunstreaker's voice from outside of the office woke Lockdown up from his drowning sorrow. The black and green mech sighed, rubbed his forehelm and then quickly acted as if nothing had happened.

"What is it, Sunshine?"

_"Can I come in? I want to talk to you."_

Lockdown frowned, didn't know if he should let the yellow mech in the office. He didn't even figure out why Sunstreaker suddenly grew attached to him, his best guess lied in his two orns off being with Sideswipe. Had the red mech done something to him that made him return to Lockdown? Or was Sunstreaker simply trying to get something from him? The latter seemed to be more suitable with a mech like the yellow bot.

Maybe, Lockdown could play along with Sunstreaker to see what his real intention was.

"Come in, Sunshine," Lockdown replied, then activated the remote to unlock the door.

Sunstreaker walked in as soon as the door slid opened. He looked around, eyeing every object in Lockdown's office like a sparkling who had just gone to a new world. Lockdown let him finish beholding his office before let out a chuckle, "So? What do you think?"

"Could have use more colors. Yellow would be nice."

Sunstreaker commented and approached Lockdown. The black and green mech laughed, shaking his helm, "Remind me next time I redecorate my office," he looked at the pleasure mech, who had just sat down on a chair opposite of him, "Now, what do you want to talk about, Sunshine?"

"It's about Sideswipe," Sunstreaker spoke after a few kliks of silence.

That seemed to have caught Lockdown's interest.

"He wants to meet me," the yellow mech continued.

" _'Wants'_?" Lockdown raised his voice.

" _'Wanted'_ ," Sunstreaker quickly corrected, "Well... before I returned here, he told me he wanted to see me... one last time," He didn't think letting Lockdown know he had Sideswipe's comm link signature was a good move.

Lockdown scratched his chin, "So... you want to see him?"

"Just to tighten some loose ends," Sunstreaker shrugged, "I want to see him so that I can tell him to frag off."

_Or to tell him how much I love him_. Sunstreaker thought. Of course, Lockdown mustn't know that.

The black and green mech stared at Sunstreaker, trying to find some signs to show that he was lying. But then, why didn't he let Sunstreaker go see Sideswipe and he could follow him behind? In that way, he could easily find out about the yellow mech's intention with him and to see whether he and Sideswipe were actually over. Even if they weren't, Lockdown would still see it as a good thing because Sideswipe would be more determined to purchase Sunstreaker and give him the Credits he wanted. If they were truly through, then Lockdown still had his ways to persuade the gladiator to buy his ex-lover's freedom.

Either ways worked for him.

"Of course," he grinned, "You can go see him. Just remember to tell him that you're mine now."

Sunstreaker nodded, "Will do."

Lockdown stood up from his chair and walked towards the pleasure mech, "When do you want to see him?"

"How about tonight?"

Lockdown was about to reply but suddenly his comm link pinged. He frowned at the designation and stood up from his chair, "Hold up. I've got a comm," he said, then turning his back on Sunstreaker to face the window. He knew for sure Sunstreaker would try to observe him and it was best that he should avoid his look when he was in a comm. Especially in a comm with  _that mech_.

Sunstreaker sat still on the chair, staring at Lockdown's back then at the stack of datapads on his desk. Cautiously, the yellow mech glanced at the datapad at the top and back at Lockdown again. As quick and silent as he could, he grabbed the datapad and lowered it down onto his laps and behind the desk so that when Lockdown turned around, he wouldn't see what Sunstreaker had taken. Being subtle wasn't Sunstreaker's specialty but he kept telling himself to try. For himself and for Sideswipe. For their dream of being together. He looked at Lockdown, who was still answering the comm, then at the datapad on his laps. A digit slowly turned the datapad on and luckily it wasn't password protected, probably because Lockdown was reading it.

The information was... interested, to say the least. Although they weren't anything that could prove Lockdown was involved in the Opidium smuggling, Sunstreaker was still surprised at the data. These were all about  **his**  vitals, his Spark signal and his innards. It was weird to see Lockdown kept these kind of information and it was even weirder to notice there were more than one files, recorded every orn. Lockdown had been monitored him, no, monitored his  _health_  to be more exact on a daily basis. Sunstreaker knew Lockdown did care about him in some degree but to monitor and keep these kinds of things. It was a little disturbing.

But the surprise didn't stop here since Sunstreaker found two more files belong to another two mechs on the datapad. One was labeled the name  _"Crawler"_  while the other...

_"Sideswipe"?_

Sunstreaker widened his optics at the file's name. He opened the file and found the information on Sideswipe's spark signal as well as his background. How come Lockdown have these kinds of information? And why did he keep these?

_Did he intend to do something to Sideswipe?_  Sunstreaker's spark jumped at the thought. His digit swiped up and down on the text about Sideswipe. Whatever reasons Lockdown had, he had done a throughout research about the gladiator. And Sunstreaker's spark throbbed as he noticed the piece of information about Sideswipe's real home city.

_"An orphan from an Orphanage named 'Second Chance' in Iacon and was adopted by Ironhide."_

Sunstreaker almost dropped the datapad.

He remembered when he was young, sitting on his caretaker's laps with wiggling legs and curious, brightly shone optics as he asked him,  _"Where are my sire and carrier? Where did I come from?"_

His caretaker laughed at the innocent questions, petting his helm fins, still being so little at that time, like ears of a newborn turbofox. With his husky voice, he said,  _"You don't need them. They left you at a place called_ 'Second Chance'. _And I'm the second chance you need to give you the life you deserve."_

_Sunstreaker was also an orphan from 'Second Chance' Orphanage in Iacon._

Terrified of what he had just read and memories of the past, Sunstreaker tried to hold his breath. Questions of uncertainty about the true relation between him and Sideswipe kept dancing around in his processor.

Same frame. Same home city. Same background of being orphans. Same orphanage. Same feelings.

Was Sideswipe really his brother?

_No, no, no, it can't be. It can't be. It must have been a mistake or a coincidence._  Sunstreaker tried to calm down and convince himself that he must not trust these information. There were no credibility in these, and Lockdown could have made them up.  _Yes_ , these were just his assumptions or whatever they were. He slightly jumped as he saw Lockdown turned to take a glance at him then turned away again. It seemed to be he hadn't noticed the missing datapad on the desk, but Sunstreaker knew he had taken too much time on this. Knowing Lockdown would end his comm anytime soon, Sunstreaker quickly turned off the datapad and put it back to its old place.

And it was just in time, too. Because couples of cycles later, Lockdown finished his comm and turned back, facing the yellow mech. He narrowed his optics and for a klik, Sunstreaker almost feared that he had seen what had happened. But there was something weird in the way he looked at Sunstreaker. Something that was almost like... guilt... or even regret.

In just about less than half an orn, Sunstreaker was able to see more sides of Lockdown than in stellar cycles.

"Lockdown?" Sunstreaker frowned. But the black and green mech kept his optics on him.

Finally, after awhile, he replied, "Comm me when you want to go and see Sideswipe. Now, if there aren't anything else, I have work to do," after that, he turned away and pointed a digit towards the door.

_Now, that was weird._  Sunstreaker thought but didn't object. He stood up and walked towards the door, only stopped after a few steps to look back at Lockdown, then continued to leave the office, couldn't see that behind the locked door, Lockdown had dropped down on his chair and had both of his servos wrapping around his helm, faceplate winced in anger and shame.

Couldn't see that behind the locked door and buried in servos, Lockdown silently sobbed.

* * *

_**Nightfall, at The Illusionist...** _

"What are they doing here?"

Sunstreaker gave Sideswipe a scowl as he looked at Ironhide and Prowl. Couple of cycles ago, Lockdown had kept his words and let Sunstreaker out of the brothel after he had commed him. The yellow mech had predicted the possibility that Lockdown sent mechs to follow him and had been cautious of his surroundings. But he knew his plan would be destroyed if Lockdown knew he still loved Sideswipe. So the yellow mech had come up with an idea to trick Lockdown. But this would also mean tricking Sideswipe as well.

Sunstreaker would have to really act like he didn't love Sideswipe anymore and wanted to end their relationship.

_But how?_  The question didn't limit to how he was going to do that, but it was more about how he could bear Sideswipe's sadness when he told him they were over. Sunstreaker had told himself he had to be strong; because once Lockdown had been caught he would return to the gladiator and tell him the truth immediately. But it was easier said than done. Because now when Sunstreaker get to their meeting place -  _The Illusionist_ , he found out Sideswipe didn't go alone. He could understand why Ironhide was here, probably wanted to protect Sideswipe, but what about the white Enforcer that was sitting next to Sideswipe?

"What? You want Sides to go alone so that you can hurt him?" Ironhide crossed his arms and stared at the yellow mech. Sunstreaker could see the old mech was still pissed about how Sideswipe had left him to go after Hook alone.

"You want to see me and him fragging again that much?" Sunstreaker glared back at Ironhide.

"Again?" Prowl mumbled.

"'Hide. Sunny. Please!" Sideswipe raised a servo and looked at both mechs, "Ironhide is just worried about me, Sunny. 'Hide, Sunny and I are lovers. So it's normal if we just want a little privacy, right?"

Both Ironhide and Sunstreaker huffed, still staring at each other. Sideswipe sighed, "Sunny, please ignore Ironhide. And also Prowl is here because he has something that he wants to ask. But I'll tell you later."

Sunstreaker frowned, but didn't say anything. His spark suddenly jumped as he felt Sideswipe's servo touching his. The yellow mech looked down to see that the red mech had hold his servo tight and he kept trying to tell himself to be strong and not to be frayed by the mech he loved most.

"I'm going to miss you so much, Sunny," Sideswipe smiled and tightened his grip.

Sunstreaker's spark almost stopped. Suddenly, he trembled, in fear, in anger and pain as he realized he wouldn't be able to see Sideswipe. But the hardest part wasn't about the time that they were going to be separated, it was about what he was about to say, it was about the inevitable result that could send Sideswipe into the depth of hurt.

And there was only  **one**  way to quickly, possibly temporary, end his relationship with Sideswipe.

"We can't be together, Sides. Our relationship... it has to end."

His words surprised not only the red mech but also Ironhide and Prowl. Sideswipe tightened his grip on his lover's servo, feeling his spark panicked at the word  _'end'_ , "Sunny, I understand that we can't be lovers for now. I-I'll find a way to get you out of that place."

"It doesn't matter anymore, Sides," Sunstreaker gritted his denta, "We're  **brothers**! Brothers don't love each other  **that**  way!"

Sideswipe felt like his spark had just broken into pieces. Shock colored not just his but also the other two mechs' faceplates.

"Wha-what are you saying?" he stuttered, couldn't believe in what he heard.

"Sides... the brother that I've been looking for. It's  **you**. It has always been  **you** ," Sunstreaker looked down onto the table, couldn't be able to look at Sideswipe, couldn't be able to contain his pain and shock. To be honest, Sunstreaker wasn't really sure about this information but this was the only reason that he could have thought of to temporary end his relationship with Sideswipe.

The only believable reason that even he wanted to deny how accurate it was.

"No, no, ...please tell me this is a joke...," Sideswipe gasped and begged, shoulders trembling in fear and voice breaking up, "...please tell me this is  **not**  true. You said you guys are twins. But I don't look like you, Sunny. Please..."

"It's true, Sides. I found a datapad in Lockdown's office that proves you're my brother. Remember what I said? Twins can feel each other's feelings. I've always been feeling  **yours**. All the time. And your mood-swing?" Sunstreaker sighed, "It happens because of **me**."

Sideswipe shook his helm, looking down onto the table and unable to say anything else.

"Let me go, Sides. We can't be lovers. We can never be. We are brothers. I'm glad that I've finally found you but..." Sunstreaker lift Sideswipe's servo up and laid a gentle kiss upon it, "...I can't hurt my own brother."

Sideswipe broke down, sobbing and gritting his denta, "You're not hurting me... you've never hurt me... the information you found? It's wrong! There's no way...! We can't be brothers, Sunny... we can't..."

Ironhide gently put a servo on his sparkling's shoulder, trying to comfort him. On the other side of the gladiator, Prowl had been silent. He hadn't been expecting this, and something told him Sunstreaker wouldn't be able to provide the information he needed about the mysterious mech tonight. It was painful to watch Sideswipe, the strong, confident and fearless gladiator, whining in pain and trembling at the realization.

"I can feel your pain, Sides. I'm so sorry for letting you know this. I've... I've pictured a happier reunion between us. I've never wanted this to happen. I've never wanted to fall in love with my own brother," Sunstreaker sighed again, "I don't want to hurt you like this. But... but..."

"You're doing the right thing."

Sunstreaker looked up and noticed it was Ironhide was talking.

"You're doing the right thing. And I'm sorry that you two have to end your relationship like this but... you have also formed a bond closer and deeper than any pair of brothers. Thinking this as a start of a new-"

"It's not fragging fair! I'm sorry but I can't!" Sideswipe tightened his grip again and this time it made Sunstreaker winced in pain, "I can't change my love for you! Suddenly you tell me we're brothers and all of you expect me to stop loving you like the way I do! I can't do that! Please tell me this isn't true!"

He suddenly lowered his voice, "Please don't ask me to do this... I can't... please don't do this to me."

Sunstreaker avoided Sideswipe's optics, kept telling himself after he was done with Lockdown he would tell Sideswipe the truth and they could be together. But it still hurt to hear the red mech's pleas and sob, his beg for this to be some kind of a cruel joke.

He couldn't stay here any longer.

He couldn't bare hearing Sideswipe's cries or seeing his sad and hurt optics.

He couldn't contain all of this guilt and he wanted to get out of here.

"I'm sorry, Sides..."

Sunstreaker mumbled, then retreated his servo from the red mech's grip. As quick as he could, he stood up and ran out of  _The Illusionist_ , earning a few curious looks from the mechs in the bar. Sideswipe felt like the world was crumbling around him. The sweet, happy and beautiful memories of him and Sunstreaker kept flooding back into his processor and Sideswipe felt like all of his hope and dreams had been shattered into pieces. The mech he had loved so much. The mech he had cherished so many times, had kissed, had interfaced with, had loved with every he got, turned out to be his long lost twin brother.

It wasn't fair.

"It's ok, Sides," Prowl sighed, "I'll contact you later for Sunstreaker's comm signature. Just... just...," he paused, not knowing what he should say, "...take care of yourself, alright?"

After that, he stood up and quickly commed Chromedome as he left the bar. Prowl then accidentally saw Sunstreaker transformed into his Alt mode and drove away. He couldn't help but feel bad for the two young mechs. It must not be a very pleasant feeling knowing the one they loved so much turned out to be their brother. Not to mention, Sideswipe had had history of being in a troubled relationship. This would hurt him more than anything.

But right now, Prowl's worries slowly shifted to Chromedome as he had waited for so long but his partner still hadn't answered the comm. It took cycles for Prowl to finally hear the Enforcer's voice,  _::Prowl?::_

_::Chromedome, something happened. I'll try to contact Sunstreaker later. What about you? What took you so long?::_

_::I need backup, Prowl::_  Chromedome's voice sounded too hurried.

_::What happened?::_  Prowl asked as he transformed into his Alt mode.

_::Scrapper ambushed me for Hook to escape. They are on the run and I'm chasing them right now::_

_::I'm on my way. We mustn't let them get away this time::_  the white Enforcer said as he quickly drove away from the bar.

Meanwhile, inside  _The Illusionist_ , Ironhide had wrapped his arm around Sideswipe's shoulders, trying to comfort him, "It's going to be alright, Sides. You're going to be fine. I know it's hurt right now but you're gonna be okay..."

"Why didn't you tell me I had a brother?" Sideswipe sobbed.

"I didn't know, Sides. When I adopted you, I only saw you there. Nobody told me you had a brother. You think I'd left Sunstreaker behind if I knew he was your brother? I'd adopted you both. I'd raised you two as my own sparklings and wouldn't let Sunstreaker become a pleasure mech," Ironhide frowned, "Had I known... all of this wouldn't have happened."

"But it have...! I love him so much. It's not fair," Sideswipe sighed, "Why did this keep happening to me? Why every mech I loved turn out to be...?"

He gasped and offlined his optics, couldn't finish his own question. Ironhide pull him into a hug, rubbing his back up and down as if Sideswipe was a little sparkling, crying and clinging onto his caretaker whenever his imagination got the best of him, thinking he had seen a monster under his berth. Normally the red mech would push him away and told him he was going to be fine and it was too sentimental for him.

But right now, he didn't care.

* * *

_::I saw what happened, Sunstreaker. You're doing the right thing::_

Jazz said through the comm link as he stood in a corner of  _The Illusionist_ , observing the bar and every mech inside.

_::Doesn't feel like it. I made it all up to hurt Sides::_  Sunstreaker answered.

_::I know it must be hard for both of you and him. But the right thing to do isn't always the easiest one,::_  Jazz stroke his chin,  _::Lockdown had sent a mech to follow you. He'd know you're lying to him if you had showed your love to Sideswipe::_

_::Of course he did::_

_::Don't worry. He must have commed Lockdown and told him everything he had seen. And it'll be all about how you broke up with Sideswipe. My partner had also moved in to intercept this stalker. Now you're one step closer to Lockdown::_

Sunstreaker sighed and simply said,  _::...yeah::_

Before Jazz could say anything else, Sunstreaker suddenly said,  _::Wait, Jazz. I've just seen Lockdown leaving the brothel. I'm following him now::_

_::Where is he? Don't go alone::_  Jazz frowned.

_::I have to be on his trail. I'll send you the location after he reaches his destination::_

_::Sunstreaker, be careful. Tell me where you are::_  Jazz had left his corner and was about to leave the bar.

_::I saw it. He's heading to- aAAHH::_

Suddenly, Jazz heard a painful cry and the comm disconnected right after that. He froze as he tried to raise the comm again but there were no answers.

What the frag just happened?

_::Sunstreaker? Are you there? What happened?::_

No replies.

_::Sunstreaker? SUNSTREAKER!::_


	10. A Broken Deal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A business deal went horribly wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm very sorry for the late update. I've been very busy these days because of the huge amount of workload. Also, this chapter has been very difficult for me to write. Emotionally difficult to be more exact. I had some hard time trying to finish it so it took more time than I thought to finally be able to update the story.
> 
> Klik ~ a Cybertronian second
> 
> Cycle ~ a Cybertronian minute
> 
> Megacycle ~ a Cybertronian hour
> 
> Orn ~ a Cybertronain day
> 
> Quintun ~ a Cybertronian week
> 
> Diun ~ a Cybertronian month
> 
> Stellar cycle ~ a Cybertronian year

_**About a megacycle ago...** _

Lockdown looked out of his office's window and at the yellow pleasure mech who had just left the  _Nuts 'n' Screws_  and was transforming into his Alt mode. About couples of cycles ago, Sunstreaker had commed him and said that he wanted to go and see Sideswipe one last time. Of course Lockdown had kept his words and unlocked the door for the yellow mech. But he wouldn't trust and let Sunstreaker go that easily.

_::Hound, I need your help::_

He quickly commed the only mech he had come to see as a real friend and someone he could trust.

 _::What is it, Lockdown? Tell me this isn't about something illegal::_ buthis friend's silence had confirmed all,  _::It's about something illegal, isn't it?::_

_::I just want you to follow Sunstreaker. He's going to The Illusionist to see Sideswipe and I need to know if he has been honest with me::_

Hound sighed,  _::Lockdown...::_

 _::Please,::_  Lockdown grunted,  _::This will be the last time I ask you for help. You just need to follow him and tell me what happen when he sees Sideswipe again::_

 _::Lockdown, I know you're jealous but...,::_  Hound paused,  _::...fine. But after this, don't comm me again. I've had enough with you trying to ruin your life and dragging Sunstreaker along with it::_

 _::Thank you, Hound. For everything. I promise that this is the last time I ask for your help,::_  The black and green mech said and then disconnected.

* * *

_**The present,...** _

Lockdown stood in shock as he saw Skywarp, walking into the abandoned building and threw a motionless yellow mech onto the ground.

"We have company," the assassin coldly said, "And it's your whore, Lockdown."

Lockdown widened his optics at Sunstreaker, lying on the ground with paralyzed limbs, optics still onlined and clearly he was still conscious of his surroundings. Skywarp must have hit him with an electric rod and neutralized his frame. Sunstreaker wasn't an easy opponent so he must have been attacked unexpected and best guess should be from behind.

"What are we going to do with him?" Skywarp walked closer to the yellow mech and sat down next to him, a wicked smile appeared on his faceplate, "I have quite a few ideas," a digit ran across Sunstreaker's chassis, leaving a scratch along its way. There was hatred, despise and even, jealousy, in the assassin's optics, as if he was ready to break the yellow mech into disposable scraps.

"Don't you dare touch him!" Lockdown growled and immediately rushed towards Sunstreaker, holding his frame in his arms and threw an ugly glare at Skywarp, "You hurt him and I'm going to fragging offline you!"

"Strange words from the one who had tricked him into selling his frame."

Both Skywarp and Lockdown turned around to spot the big mech in dark blue paint job approaching them. Lockdown could see the panic in Sunstreaker's optics and he knew the yellow mech recognized the mech that had drugged him against his will, "I'm not going to let him hurt you again, Sunshine," Lockdown whispered, quickly reassured him and turned to the big mech, "Leave him out of this. He doesn't have anything to do with it."

"Or he might if you don't keep the end of your bargain. I've the Opidium ready but do you have the Credits?"

The big mech sat down next to Lockdown, suddenly ran a digit on Sunstreaker's faceplate. The black and green mech immediately slapped his servo away and said, "Give me more time."

"Your time is up, Lockdown. Give me the Credits or our deal is over," the big mech said.

Lockdown growled and stood up, holding Sunstreaker in his arms, "I have the Credits but give me some more time."

"I'm sorry, Lockdown. But our deal's over," the big mech stood up and suddenly stopped as he was about to turn away, "But I do have another offer for you."

"What?"

" **Him**. For the Opidium," the mech grinned and pointed a digit towards the yellow pleasure mech in Lockdown's arms, "I'll buy him from you with the Opidium you want. I've always wanted to have my very own pleasure mech, serving only  **me**. And he fits the bill perfectly."

Seeing the shock, the rage and panic on Sunstreaker's faceplate, Lockdown immediately replied, spitting the big mech's designation like it was some kind of a cruel, disgusted swearword, "You know what? You're right,  **Crawler**. Our deal is  **over**." He turned around and was quickly blocked by two other big mechs, who seemed to be the smuggler's thugs. Strangely, Skywarp was nowhere to be seen, probably had teleported outside for doing lookout. Both Lockdown and Sunstreaker knew about the deal and the Opidium smuggler. Of course they weren't going to let them go that easily. Yet, their boss just raised a servo and said, "Let them go."

The thugs looked at each other then stepped aside for Lockdown to leave. As quick as he could, the black and green mech walked out of the abandoned building with the paralyzed mech in his arms. He could feel the big mech's optics on him, probably judging him for being stupid or something similar.

Noticing the surprise in the yellow mech's optics, Lockdown whispered, "Don't worry, Sunshine. I'm not going to let him touch you again," he walked faster and faster, letting his feet carried both of them away from the abandoned building and away from the smuggler that could have ruined their life.

"I promise. I won't let him hurt you again."

* * *

_**Back at The Illusionist...** _

Ironhide lost count on how many drinks Sideswipe had taken.

The only thing he could do right now was sitting next to him, listening to his ranting and trying to comfort him as best as he could. He knew how hard it must be for his sparkling, finding out his lover was actually his twin brother. It would mean the end of everything and even though Ironhide wasn't exactly one hundred percent approved of their relationship; he saw how happy Sideswipe was with Sunstreaker.

"He always acts tough. He always gives this glare to anyone who looks at him. But I'm the only one who can make him laugh, make him giggle and oh Primus, his giggle is the most adorable sound I've ever heard," Sideswipe let out a sad laugh as he took another drink.

"I love everything about him. His talents in art, his smile, his voice, his cute helm fins. Do you know those fins are actually very sensitive? I always love teasing them and watching him giggling like a sparkling. So adorable every time he does that. Can't help but to kiss him. He always grumbles like an old mech whenever I do that. He likes to cuddle, though he acts like he hates it. He likes to be kissed on the nose and at the back of his neck. He's stubborn, sullen and maybe cares about his appearance a little too much. But it's ok," Sideswipe sadly smiled, "I love watching him cleaning and waxing himself up. I love watching his frame shining under the light and I love his Alt mode. Elegant. Beautiful. Fast. I love it when he wraps his arms around me, making me calm without saying much. His one word weights thousands meanings and he just only needs to say little to calm me down."

Sideswipe's optics stared at the glass of high-grade, " _'I'm your Sunny. Your Sunny will never hurt you,'_ " he drank the glass empty in one shot and slammed it onto the table, "Now it's all over. You must be thinking that I'm a disgusting mech, loving my own brother like that."

"You didn't know, Sides. It's disturbing, sure, but nobody blames you or Sunstreaker about this," Ironhide shook his helm, "You won't be able to love your brother like lovers do again but you can start loving him the way a brother should. This doesn't mean the end of anything. You can still love him, but in a different way."

Sideswipe didn't say anything, simply looking at the line of empty glasses on the table. It was easier said than done. How could he look at Sunstreaker again without feeling pain and shame? How could he touch him again without capturing him in his arms and kiss him hard? How could he love him like a brother should when he desired so much more from him? Sideswipe saw Sunstreaker everywhere he looked. This place had been the first place Sideswipe had taken Sunstreaker to after their first met at the brothel. He looked around and could still see the bar fight, the laughing and the over-charged mechs tackling each other. And leaning against the bar, with a glass of high-grade in his servo and an amusing smile upon his faceplate, was Sunstreaker. Sassy and spark-melting gorgeous.

This was all too much for Sideswipe.

"I want to get out of here," the red mech offlined his optics and mumbled.

"Yeah, let's go home and rest-"

"No, 'Hide. I want to get out of Kaon. Let's go to Iacon and prepare for CGT. Let's leave  **now**. I need some time to think and also some punching bags."

Ironhide silently looked at Sideswipe, missing the happy, even idiotically happy, red mech that he had seen these recent orns. Primus, Sideswipe had fallen hard, hadn't he?

Both of the red mechs didn't notice not far from them, Jazz had ran up to Mirage, who was talking with Hound. Worries colored their faceplates as Jazz had dragged Mirage away from Hound and started talking to him. Couple of cycles later, the music mixer had quickly ran out of  _The Illusionist_  while Mirage returned to his bar.

* * *

"What are you doing here? Our deal is over."

Lockdown looked at the big mech who was standing in his office with his thugs standing on each side. After bringing Sunstreaker back to the brothel, Lockdown had brought him back to his quarter when he heard the smuggler's comm that he would go there to meet him, he didn't even lock the room in hope of the yellow mech's stubbornness would urge him to escape this place. He blamed himself for his decision of temporary closing the brothel, because now he had to face the Opidium smuggler and his thugs alone. He had thought that with Sunstreaker returning to his side and the deal with Sideswipe and the smuggler, he wouldn't need to maintain the brothel anymore.

Right now, he could only hope that Sunstreaker had recovered from the electric rod's effect and was trying to escape from his quarter. Lockdown wouldn't care if something bad would happen to him, it would be best that he kept them here to prolong the time for Sunstreaker to escape.

"You let us go. I thought we were over," Lockdown said, "Look, if you're worried about me revealing who you are.  **Don't**  be. I won't say a word. I'll leave Kaon with Sunstreaker and leave you alone."

"Lockdown, are you being afraid that I'll tell Skywarp to offline and dismember you like what he did with the  **doctor**?" the big mech laughed, "The truth is I've been thinking about that. But then I thought about our stellar cycles of doing business together so I've changed my mind of letting you go. With some deleted data, of course. Until Skywarp showed me this."

He took a datapad out of his subspace and held high for Lockdown to see. The black and green mech narrowed his optics to look at the text showing on it, then shock hit him right after he realized what it was. The datapad that stored Sunstreaker's health logs.

"Skywarp had a little visit to your office while you were trying to break the deal with me awhile ago. Now I know why you're so desperate for the Opidium," the big mech grinned and concluded, "You want to  **cure**  that whore."

"Crawler. Give it back," Lockdown growled and took a step further.

"Now I understand why you  **had**  to make him a pleasure mech. Smart. But why didn't you tell me...?" he paused as he gave the datapad a swipe and showed Lockdown the file that was named  _'Crawler'_ , "...that I'm  **compatible**  to him?"

"I'm not going to let you touch him again. Even if your spark can save his life."

"Well... if I were you I wouldn't be so confident."

Lockdown stiffened and immediately turned around him. Only to spot a pair of red optics and a wicked smile, "Surprise!". Before Lockdown could react, his winged attacker had strike him with the electric rod. Immediately, Lockdown felt his frame stiffened and his limbs were paralyzed, just like what had happened with Sunstreaker. The black and green mech fell down onto the floor, frozen yet still conscious.

"I'll tell you what, Lockdown," Crawler stepped closer to the desk and turned on the surveillance monitor, "I'll let you live. I'll even spare your data from being erased," he said as he took a glance at Skywarp, who was grinning down at Lockdown with the electric rod in his servo.

Lockdown's spark almost stopped as he looked at the screen and saw Sunstreaker was still in his quarter.

"If you agree to trade your pleasure mech for your life," Crawler finished with a smirk.

Lockdown tried to shake his helm, tried to move, tried to yell at the big mech a thousand  _'no'_  if he had to. But his frame was frozen and he couldn't do anything besides lying helplessly on the floor with the growing fear of knowing what was going to happen to the mech he loved.

"No answer? Then I guess it means  _ **'yes'**_ then," Crawler said, then looked at Skywarp, "Stay here and tie him up. But make sure that...," he paused and took a quick look at the surveillance monitor, "...he's able to enjoy  _the show_."

He turned around, only to stop and look at Skywarp again, "Oh, I forgot. This whore can be a bit... untamed. Care to provide me any advises, Lockdown?"

Lockdown tried to move his mouths, to spit every curse he had in his databank at the smuggler as Skywarp was tying him with stasis cuff. The assassin smirked, looking down at him and then back at his boss, "I can help you pinning him down. It shouldn't be too tough. The only thing that pleasure mech is good at is lying down and spreading his legs."

 _And that's where you're wrong_. Lockdown thought. Sunstreaker was not a normal pleasure mech and if he could have only a little advantage, he would still be able to escape from Crawler's grasp. But maybe he misjudged Crawler, as the smuggler laughed and said, "That ain't gonna work. The last time I fragged him, even with the Opidium, I still went home with scratches, dents and sore spots everywhere on my frame. He wouldn't go down without a fight."

Lockdown could catch the annoyance in Skywarp's optics, probably because he wouldn't be there to see Sunstreaker being hurt. He had showed his hatred towards the yellow mech pretty clear back at the abandon building and it made Lockdown wonder if he actually harbored any feelings for Sideswipe. But the assassin grinned and replied, suddenly grabbing Lockdown's servos and lift them up, "Maybe Lockdown can help you. He has a switch in his left servo that can make that whore horny and be ready to take as many spikes as you like."

The black and green mech widened his optics at Skywarp's words.  _How did he know?_  Unless he had been watching him. Maybe under Crawler's orders. Of course it had to be. Crawler wouldn't trust any mechs so easily. There was always a chance that Enforcers disguised themselves as Opidium buyers to trap him.

Crawler sat down in front of Lockdown and let a digit touch his servo with the hidden switch, "Tsk, Lockdown, my friend, aren't you a bad mech? Lend an old dear friend a servo, will you?"

The thugs standing behind Crawler snickered at his boss's words, and also at Lockdown's helplessness to say  _'no'_  and do anything to protect Sunstreaker. "I had expected that you would say  _'no'_ ," Crawler smiled and stood up, turning around to look at the thugs, "Rip off his left servo."

The thugs looked at each other, cruel smiles appeared on their faceplate as they approached Lockdown. One of them transformed his arm into a saw while the other temporary took off the cuff around Lockdown's wrists and pinned his left arm onto the floor.

Soon the office was filled with the horrible saw's buzzing, the sound of metal being cut and electric sparking and sizzling. Lockdown couldn't feel anything due to the paralysis as he witnessed his own energon gushing out from his wrist as the spinning saw cut through the metal.

Yet it still pained him more than anything knowing what would happen to the mech he loved most.

* * *

_**Meanwhile, somewhere in Kaon...** _

_::They knew we were coming::_

Chromedome stated as he drove faster after the light green vehicle on the run in front of him,  _::I came to Hook's place but he wasn't there. So I tried to find him in the back and saw him driving away. Before I could transform, Scrapper attacked me::_

On the other side of the comm link, Prowl, driving fast as he was finding a path to block Scrapper's escape, replied to his partner.

_::Are you alright?::_

_::A couple of dents and scratches and my helm hurt like slag. But overall, I'm as good as a newborn sparkling. Like I said, Prowl. They knew we were coming. Explain why Scrapper was there and Hook ran away before I showed up::_

_::That would be the best guess. Hook must have tipped him off when the corpse was found::_

_::But they shouldn't have known about us,::_  Chromedome replied as he quickly steered after Scrapper as the constructicon suddenly changed his course,  _::By the way, he changed his direction to the lower-class circle. Along the third street::_

 _::Frag,::_  Prowl cursed and changed his path again,  _::Sideswipe is the only one knew about Hook. But I don't think he was their source of information. Are you sure you weren't being followed? By Skywarp?::_

 _::I always look at the sky, Prowl. Nobody followed me,::_  Chromedome huffed,  _::Prowl, we act alone. Nobody knew our plan of questioning Hook. Even Sideswipe. Only you, me, and...::_

Suddenly, Chromedome paused. And in that moment, Prowl realized what his partner was about to say. His voice filled with shock and rage as he gasped, almost as the same time as Chromedome.

 _::_ _**Fixit** _ _!::_

 _::Why didn't we realize it before? Of course! Fixit was the_ _ **only**_ _one we told our plan to! Explain why he hated Ironhide! He didn't expect to see Ironhide there so he tried to get rid of him by getting angry at him! And he didn't even check Bluestreak's backup data! He wanted those data_ _ **gone**_ _!::_  Chromedome concluded.

 _::If what you're saying is right. Everything we have done... he_ _ **knew**_ _it all. And he was working with Skywarp... could it be_ _ **him**_ _who Bluestreak saw back at the alleyway?::_  Prowl replied. Suddenly, he gasped as he remembered,  _::Oh frag! Fixit is_ _ **alone**_ _with Blue back at the hospital!::_

_::Go back to the hospital, Prowl! Leave Scrapper to me! We can't let Fixit erase all of Bluestreak's backup data!::_

_::Are you sure?::_ Prowl asked and suddenly received another comm coming from an Enforcer, asking why there had been reports of Enforcers chasing a civilian around the city,  _::Chromedome, Enforcers are on their way here!::_

_::I can handle them! Just go checking on Blue! We can't lose him again!::_

Chromedome said before disconnecting the comm. He sped up and drove closer to the constructicon, ignoring all of the comms from Enforcers and the sound of their horns as they came into the chasing scene.

* * *

One of Sunstreaker's deepest fears was being paralyzed.

So he couldn't describe how relief and happy he was when he could move his limbs again. Although it took longer than he thought, letting him be suffocated on the fear of never be able to move again for what felt like stellar cycles. He hadn't been expected Skywarp so it shamed him to admit that fragging assassin had caught him off-guard. Just like how he hadn't been expected to see Lockdown protecting him and refusing the smuggler's offer. What was his designation again? Ah, yes.  _Crawler_.

And about Lockdown...

_"I hurt you because I love you."_

Could there be some truth in those words? Sunstreaker sighed and shook his helm. Now wasn't really the time to revaluate Lockdown. He had to get out of here to meet Jazz, to let him know the designation of the smuggler and the proof that Lockdown was directly involved in an Opidium trade. Sunstreaker tried to raise his comm link, in hope of reaching the music mixer. But it seemed to be that his communication system had stumbled upon an error, probably because of Skywarp's attacks, since Sunstreaker couldn't hear anything else besides static noise. Letting out a curse, Sunstreaker ran towards the door, punching the lock and let it slide opened, only to have his optics widened in rage and fear as he saw the Opidium smuggler and two of his thugs standing in front of him.

"Long time no see, darling. Call me Crawler," the mech smirked, "Surprise to see me again, don't you? Of course you do. You really think Lockdown would let go of such a good trade? He only pretended in front of you," he said as he slowly approached the yellow mech, "The deal had been made. He got what he wanted, and I got you as my own pleasure mech."

Of course.  **Of course**  Lockdown was lying. Why Sunstreaker even thought that Lockdown might not be as bad as he appeared to be? Although, it still didn't make any sense but Sunstreaker didn't care right now. His top priority was to getting out of here. He walked backward, away from the big mech that was approaching him like a predator stalking his prey. His optics turned back and forth, trying to find some objects that could assist him in his escape. His spark raced in fear and determination not to let that mech tough him and hurt him again. He would rather offline than to become that fragger's frag toy.

"Get away from me!" Sunstreaker growled as he walked faster, optics scanned around the quarter. If there was only Crawler, Sunstreaker might be able to take him down alone but those two giant thugs would pretty much mean a losing battle for the yellow mech. He tried to raise the comm link again and his spark pulsed faster in anger as it still fragged.

"Come on, let's have a little fun. Remember last time? You sucked and rode my spike like you're hungry for it," Crawler grinned and raised both of his servos up, "I'll promise I'll be gentler this time."

"There isn't going to be any  _'this time'_ , you fragging piece of scrap!" Sunstreaker growled and looked around him. There was the tightly closed reinforced window if he took a couple more of steps backward. This was probably the most possible escape route for Sunstreaker, especially when Crawler and his thugs were standing in front of the door. But it would take time to break the glass since it was a special reinforced type of glass, a result from a daring escape attempt Sunstreaker had made in his first orns as a pleasure mech. His only way out was through the door. Maybe if he was fast enough, he could catch them by surprise and run out of the room. He would need something to create the surprise element, though. Anything would do. Sunstreaker looked around to spot the sketchpad on a nearby table.

The sketchpad that Sideswipe had given him as an apology gift...

The yellow mech suddenly moved quickly, running towards Crawler and he could spot the surprise in the smuggler's optics. His feet was swift, enough to kick Crawler's knee, making him fall forward and run past him while the smuggler was still in shock of the sudden movement and pain. Sunstreaker could see his thugs rushing towards him, trying to catch and pin him down.  _Oh they won't_. Sunstreaker thought as he jumped on the table, quickly grabbed the sketchpad and threw it towards the nearest thug's helm. The sketchpad was actually not a light object, combining with Sunstreaker's strength it was enough to crack the thug's right optic, making him howling in pain and using a servo to cover his wound. The other thug growled and ran towards Sunstreaker only to receive an unexpectedly strong and painful punch in his faceplate. He kneeled down and covered his face, whining in pain as Sunstreaker resumed his way towards the door. Assuming that Crawler had recovered from his shock and pain, the yellow mech suspected it would be Crawler's turn to attack him but with his thugs were whining like whims, he would win easily. There were reasons why Lockdown had the switch and Sunstreaker knew them well.

Just a couple of more steps he would be out of here. He would run away from Lockdown and Crawler. He would return to Jazz and let him have the evidences he wanted so much. And he would return to Sideswipe. He would tell him everything he had said was a lie and he loved him more than he could ever imagine. He would kneel down in front him, begging for forgiveness for hurting him like that, asking to love him again.

To be together again.

As his servo was about to touch the door pad, his frame suddenly heated and his legs grew weak fast, too fast that it caused the yellow mech to fall down, helm smashing against the door as knees painfully slammed down onto the ground. He gasped, trying to reach the door pad but his interfacing panels was getting hot and his legs uncontrollably spreading as he leaned against the door with his aft in the air.  _How?_  He asked himself. Crawler didn't even touch him. It felt just like...

Lockdown's switch?

Sunstreaker growled in rage and disgust at the thought that Lockdown had activated the switch. Of course he must know what was happening in his quarter. He had a fragging camera so he must know when to help Crawler. Sunstreaker gritted his denta and curled his digits into fists, optics filled with fury and pain looking at Crawler and the angry thugs that were approaching him. He knew that even if he managed to open the door, he would have to crawl out of the room. Then Crawler could easily catch him, could easily drag him back into the room and throw him onto the berth like a broken toy. His previous escape attempt had pissed them off enough for him to visualize what they wanted to do to him, especially when he was charged up like this.

He was like a wounded predator being cornered, waiting to be slaughtered. Sharp pain ran through his spark, mixing with devastation and shame. After all that had happened, after all of his effort to fight back and to escape, all of the hope - even the smallest - to be freed of this horrible fate, to be with the mech he loved most, he was back again in Crawler's grasp, to become his berth toy, never be able to see Sideswipe again. He had failed Jazz, not being able to give him the information he needed to get rid of Lockdown. He had failed himself, for letting himself be attacked by Skywarp and then unable to escape from this forsaken place. He had hurt Sideswipe, saying things he shouldn't have, pushing him down into the bottom of a world of pain.

Why was he still here? There weren't anything left for him.

"I'm sorry, Sideswipe..."

Sunstreaker whispered and used all of his remaining force to grab his throat, giving Crawler and his thugs one last ugly glare before letting out a roar and tearing his own vocal cord out. The scream was distorted, hitching higher and higher as the determined servo damaging the throat, energon leaking and gushing out of the seams of Sunstreaker's neck and even out of his mouth. It was a disturbing and painful sight, even Crawler seemed disgust and one of the two thugs had to turn away. Sunstreaker's yellow frame and the floor surrounding him was covered in energon, his roar getting louder and louder and at some point it turned into coughing as he started to feel energon flooding his innards.

He choked and sobbed. Remembering all of the good and bad memories he had throughout his life. The memories in which he could only wish to carry into his afterlife when he returned to the AllSpark. He remembered Ratchet, so grumpy, so moody but always took good care of him. He remembered Lockdown when he was still the Lockdown he loved. Guiding him through the darkest alleyways in Kaon's lower-class circle. Loving him with utmost tender and passion. And he remembered Sideswipe. Loving, handsome, caring and passionate Sideswipe.

He remembered their first kiss. He remembered Sideswipe's words, whispering and letting him know everything was going to alright, holding him tight in his arms and loving him like no one else could. He remembered their wonderful two orns off being together and he could only wish that when he woke up he would be inside the red gladiator's strong arms. And then he remembered his pain when he told him they were brothers.

The last words he had given his most loved mech were lies.

The last sight he had seen was Sideswipe drowning in his own sorrow and pain.

_I love you..._

One last thought appeared on his processor as his system shutting down and Sunstreaker fell flat on his pool of energon. Motionless.

* * *

Lockdown felt like the world was crumbling down around him.

He had seen it all. Sunstreaker's struggle to be free of the mech that had hurt him physically and emotionally and his final act of desperation when he ripped off his own throat. For a moment, Lockdown felt like his spark had stopped pulsing and he was in a stasis lock. He had promised Sunstreaker that he wouldn't let Crawler hurt him again. He had done everything he could think of to save Sunstreaker, even violating the law and putting his own life on a thin line. And yet, he was here, being tied up with a leaking, servo-missing arm and watching his lover retorting to suicide to escape the inevitable fate.

And to think, it was  **his**  switch that had led Sunstreaker to do so.

"Okay, that was pretty intense," Skywarp whistled and let out a sigh, a servo scratching his helm, "Didn't think he would do that."

 _You don't know him_. Lockdown thought, optics staring down onto the floor, processor going blank as if he had lost every reasons to fight and to live for. Nothing mattered to him anymore. Skywarp or Crawler could offline him if they wanted and he wouldn't care. The only mech he loved and lived for had returned to the AllSpark and his only wish was to be reunited with him.

Unknown to him, somewhere in the middle-class circle, a red gladiator was writhing in pain at the loss of the same yellow mech.

* * *

"Something is wrong. I can't  **feel**  him anymore..."

Sideswipe gasped, writhing on the berth as Ironhide sat next to him, trying comfort his sparkling. Not long ago, just after the two red mechs had just stepped into the apartment, Sideswipe suddenly collapsed as he felt a horrible pain and despair running through his spark. He had screamed at Ironhide to take him to Sunstreaker, saying how he could sense his feelings and knowing that something had been happening to the yellow mech. Sideswipe was writhing in pain and his frame was heating and Ironhide had to carry him to the berth, asking him to stay while he ran to the brothel to check on Sunstreaker. Before Ironhide could run out the room, he heard Sideswipe screaming in pain and he had to turn around to tend for him.

Sideswipe was pressing both of his servos onto his chassis and choking and there weren't any visible wounds there. He kept mumbling  _'Sunny'_  and sobbing and begging Ironhide to save Sunstreaker from whatever that had caused so much distress to the yellow mech. As sudden as the pain came, it was gone and Sideswipe even seemed to be more panicked than when he felt the unbearable pain.

"He's  **gone**... I can't feel him anymore...," he mumbled, sitting up on the berth and staring into the wall in front of him, "Please... please... it can't be...," Sideswipe sobbed and punched his own chassis, as if trying to get some responses from his own spark. He tried to send all of the best feelings he could think of, the happiness, the consolations, the warmth towards his spark, towards the bond. He kept whispering  _"where are you"_  in his processor, wishing that in a couple of kliks Sunstreaker would respond to him through their bond.

Quickly, Ironhide grabbed his arm before he could damage himself any further, "Sideswipe, calm down! You stay here while I drive to the brothel to check on him."

"No! I'll go with you to personally rip off Lockdown's helm!" Sideswipe yelled and jumped off the berth. Before Ironhide could protest, Sideswipe had stormed out of the room. The old mech shook his helm and quickly ran after his sparkling. He had heard about twins bond before and never could have imagined all of Sideswipe's mood-swing happened because of Sunstreaker's emotions. And he sure as well couldn't expect the bond would be so strong that it could bring pain to each other as if they was actually feeling it. They left the door opened when they ran out of the apartment and into the road. Ironhide knew there were no words that could persuade Sideswipe to stay here and remain calm because he sure as frag he was, too, worried about Sunstreaker. After knowing Sunstreaker was Sideswipe's brother, all of his hatred and envy of the yellow mech seemed to have slowly disappeared and in their stead was guilt and a deep regret of not knowing about him, not caring and unable to shelter him from his current fate.

Sideswipe transformed into his Alt mode and quickly reved up his engine. Not going to let another klik wasted, Ironhide did the same and drove behind the red mech.  _::Sideswipe, be careful!::_  he yelled as he noticed how fast and reckless Sideswipe was driving, even jumped to run on the sidewalk to avoid the vehicles in front of him. Ironhide knew how Sideswipe was feeling but being reckless only got himself in trouble before getting to Sunstreaker.

At one point they drove to another small road to avoid the crowded main street and Sideswipe drove like he had no tomorrow. Sunstreaker was the only thing in his processor right now and nothing could stop him. His spark raced in fear, kept pounding into the bond, hoping to get even a tiny response from the twin brother he didn't know he had. Sideswipe didn't care if Sunstreaker was his brother or how the society would look at him and judge him, because the only thing he would do when he saw the yellow mech again was holding him tight and kissing him as hard as he could. Nothing could stand in his way right now.

Nothing. Except for a grey Enforcer vehicle that was rushing out of nowhere.

Sideswipe heard Ironhide's yell before the grey car flashed before the corner of his optics and crashed hard into him. The gladiator cried in pain as he was rolled to a side, transforming and lying flat on the ground. He groaned as his vision was getting all dizzy. Energon was dripping from the crack of his helm, forming small puddles under him. Lying not far from him was the grey mech that had crashed into him, groaning in pain as he wrapped his arms around himself.

 _Bluestreak?_  Sideswipe asked himself as he recognized the mech. _What the frag...?_

"Sideswipe!" Ironhide transformed and ran to Sideswipe's side, only stopped for a klik to look at the young Enforcer but soon returned his attention to the gladiator, "Oh Primus! That was a large hole, we've got to get you to the hospital!"

"No! I have to save Sunny!" Sideswipe yelled as he tried to move and refreshed his optics for clearer view.

"I'll check on him after getting you to the hospital! You aren't going anywhere with that hole in your helm!" Ironhide said as he moved Sideswipe and carried him on his back.

Suddenly, another white car approached them and this time bore the symbol of Kaon Enforcer on his door. The vehicle transformed into Prowl and he stormed towards the whining grey mech on the ground, only stopped a klik to look at Ironhide and Sideswipe.

Bluestreak widened his optics at the sight of Prowl walking towards him. He jumped and sat up, about to run again but failed because of his injured leg, "Get away from me!"

"Prowl, what the frag is wrong with Bluestreak?" Ironhide narrowed his optics at the scene where Prowl growled in anger and grabbed Bluestreak's arm too forcefully. The white Enforcer didn't answer, still focusing on the erratic mech that was trying to get away from him.

"Leave me alone!" Bluestreak cried but Prowl had lift him up when he noticed the gaping wound in his leg, "Get away from me! Don't touch me, you monster!"

"Blue, for the last time...," Prowl frowned. He was cut off when Bluestreak yelled again, struggling and trying to punch him. His words were filled with fear and brought shock upon the two red mechs who were about to leave.

" **You**  offlined him! You were the one who offlined  **him**! I  **saw**  everything! You were  **there**! You shot  **me**!"


	11. Escape from Kaon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was time to leave Kaon behind, with some unexpected companions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm terribly sorry for the very late update! I have been very busy over the past months with works and personal issues. Thank you so much for all of your support and patience. It meant a lot to me and it reminded me of how my silly story could still bring enjoyment to others. And this is just a beautiful thing that kept me going. Thank you. :)
> 
> Warning: non-con in this chapter.
> 
> Klik ~ a Cybertronian second
> 
> Cycle ~ a Cybertronian minute
> 
> Megacycle ~ a Cybertronian hour
> 
> Orn ~ a Cybertronain day
> 
> Quintun ~ a Cybertronian week
> 
> Diun ~ a Cybertronian month
> 
> Stellar cycle ~ a Cybertronian year

"Don't know what you and Sideswipe saw in that whore," Skywarp sat on the desk, optics eyeing the black and green mech lying silently on the floor, "He seemed to be a pain in the aft. And he was a coward. Why? If he was about to be fragged, at least lying down and take it like a mech."

Lockdown gave Skywarp a glare, "Because he had more pride than ten of you combined," he growled. By now, the effect of the electric rod had worn off. Lockdown could feel the pain in his arm but he didn't care right now.

His response had made Skywarp glare back at him. He huffed and turned away, to the surveillance monitor and suddenly, the familiar wicked smirk ran across his faceplate again. The assassin jumped off the desk and walked towards Lockdown. He sat down in front of him, grabbing his chin to lift his faceplate up.

"Listen, Lockie, may I call you Lockie? I guess I can," Skywarp grinned, "While you were drowning in your sorrow or whatever, I have some news for you. Good news and bad news. Which one you wanna hear first?"

"Get off my face," Lockdown gritted his denta.

"I could slap you right now but I'll be generous. So, good news first then," Skywarp hummed, "Your whore is alive. Oh how joyful, isn't it?"

"What?"

Lockdown widened his optics. Sunstreaker was alive? Or Skywarp was messing around with him?

"You think Crawler didn't have any plans to deal with that whore? Considering how he had fragged him once and knew too well how glitchy he was?" the assassin smirked again.

As if catching the doubt in Lockdown's optics, Skywarp laughed and stood up. He moved aside and let Lockdown witnessed the horror that was happening on the surveillance screen. The horror that was even worse than seeing Sunstreaker trying to offline himself. His mouth dropped and his frame shook in rage and Skywarp's laughs tormented him to the edge of his breaking point. To make it worse, Skywarp walked closer to the monitor and chose the option to zoom in the camera, allowing Lockdown to watch the happening scene in the highest details.

It was like torture. Seeing Sunstreaker alive but barely moving, optics shuttering and shining too dim. Still alive, still conscious of his surroundings but there were only despair and pain in those once lively optics. His mouth was opened, his throat was bare with sparking lines and cables, soaking in energon, just like his own frame.

But the horror wasn't about how devastated and painful Sunstreaker looked. But it was about how he had been laid onto the berth. How his valve cover had been tore off. How his opened mouth was filled with a thrusting spike. How another one poking at his helm while a servo stroking it up and down. How his legs was grabbed and spread too violently. And how a large, merciless spike slammed into his dripping valve, stretching it too wide and even too painful to look at.

Lockdown growled and tried to move, spitting curses and angry words at the flyer who seemed to enjoy the disturbing scene too much. He dared not to look at the monitor anymore, bowing down as he worked his processor towards a solution to get himself out of these cuffs around his wrists and ankles to save Sunstreaker, to take him away from Crawler before he bled to offline. The sound emitting from the monitor was disturbing and only made Lockdown angrier. Noticing how Lockdown wasn't looking anymore, Skywarp approached him again and grabbed his throat, forcing him to look at the happening scene.

"Enjoy it while it lasts, Lockie," Skywarp smirked.

* * *

Primus must have hated him. A lot.

Sunstreaker thought as he winced at the intruding pain in his lower frame. He was too tired and hopeless to even care and fight back anymore. After these fraggers were done with him, they would bring him out of here and to Crawler's place, where he would be his frag toy for the rest of his life. He had tried to stop that fate from happening to him by tearing off his vocal cord, trying to offline himself. But who would have thought Crawler had emergency knowledge and equipments to stop the bleeding and pumping energon into him to keep him alive. Only for them to frag him right here when they decided how his show of desperation and his energon-covered frame had somehow turned them on.

Crawler groaned in pleasure as he thrust his enormous spike deeper into his abused valve, servos stroking his chest and hips while letting his thugs in turn forced their spikes into Sunstreaker's tired mouth, to have their transfluid leaking from the hole in his throat and laugh at how good he was in berth and how slutty he looked. They mocked him, insulted him with words to remind him of his fate, of him being a private whore for their boss.

"This is why I like you," Crawler grinned as he bowed down to have a closer look at the yellow mech, "Feisty and beautiful. You never surrender, don't you? It's good. It's like taming a wild turbofox. Now I know why Lockdown is crazy about you. And that gladiator, too."

Sunstreaker widened his optics at Crawler's words, as if he had just woken up from a nightmare and into the next. The smuggler laughed and gave a hard thrust, causing Sunstreaker's optics to offline a kliks at the force, "Skywarp told me all about him. You know what the best part is? Skywarp has received another contract to deal with him."

_What?_

Sunstreaker almost had a spark failure when he heard what Crawler had just said. Skywarp was about to resume his assassination contract with Sideswipe? Could it be because Sideswipe had just entered the _CGT_ and someone wanted to get rid of him? Sideswipe's faceplate flashed before his optics and his words of protection returned to his processor.

_"He can't hurt you anymore. I won't let him."_

He had to get out of here. He had to stop Skywarp. He had to save Sideswipe. He-

Sunstreaker's line of thoughts were disconnected as he mentally screamed when he felt the transfluid flooding into his mouth and down into his damaged sore throat, the other thug moaned as he overloaded, shooting his disgusting fluid against the yellow mech's faceplate. Crawler slammed hard into him a few times before overloading, pumping his loads deep into Sunstreaker as he let out a pleasurable growl. They laughed at the slightly twitched frame under them, at the stretched and swollen, fluid leaking valve and the transfluid-coated, scratched yellow chassis. There were transfluid everywhere on and inside his frame that made Sunstreaker feel disgust and sticky. He really wanted to throw up right now.

"Well, that was fun," Crawler grinned as he rubbed a digit against the loose valve, seeing the silvery pink fluids leaking out of it made his spike hard again.

Sunstreaker eyed the expanding rod with disgust and he couldn't help but think if that fragger push that thing into him again he would-

And idea struck him right at that moment. The yellow mech moved his exhausted frame and sat up on the berth. The thugs seemed to be cautious but both were still coming down from their overloads to care. Crawler, however, looked at Sunstreaker with interest and curiosity showed clear in his optics, wondering what the pleasure mech was about to do. Sunstreaker used a digit to swipe the transfluid leaking from his valve and moved it close to his mouth, letting his glossa licking the wet digit clean, earning charged-up groan and growls from Crawler and his thugs. Crawling on four, Sunstreaker moved closer to Crawler, a servo reaching out to gently stroke the large spike. He could see that the thugs were playing with their own spikes, since Crawler had made it clear that no one entered Sunstreaker but him.

The yellow mech observed the smuggler in front of him as he stimulated the hard spike. It wasn't take long for Crawler to start losing himself in the charge, thrusting up into Sunstreaker's grip. It was disgusting and shameful, sure. But this was his only way out. Sunstreaker bowed down, opening his mouth and slowly sank his helm down onto the spike. He set a fast pace, not letting Crawler a klik to rest. Only when he felt the throbbing spike was about to overload, Sunstreaker lift his helm up and took a quick look at Crawler and the thugs before doing the one thing he was supposed to do long ago.

He bit the fragging spike as hard as he could.

* * *

"For the last time, I didn't shoot you," Prowl had pull out his cuff and used it on Bluestreak to stop him from punching him, "I was with Chromedome, how am I supposed to shoot you?"

"I don't know who you are or that Chromedome you're talking about! You bear that symbol! You offlined that mech! Let me go!" Bluestreak yelled again.

"Ugh... you're losing more data than I've thought," Prowl sighed as he carried the erratic mech in his arms. As his last piece of patient broke, Prowl growled as he used his helm to hit Bluestreak's hard. Enough to send him into unconsciousness. After that, he turned to look at Ironhide and couldn't help but notice a groaning Sideswipe on his back, "It seems to be we're both heading to the hospi-"

The sound of Enforcers' horns cut Prowl off and Ironhide noticed his sudden panic. Then he remembered Prowl had said that he, Chromedome and Fixit worked alone, in fear of the internal corruption within the Kaon Enforcers. Before both of them could move, another black and white car ran towards and quickly transformed before their optics.

"Jazz?" Ironhide frowned.

"You can't go to the hospital, Prowl. The Enforcers are everywhere after Bluestreak's break-out and Chromedome's chase. You need a place to lay low. Follow me."

"But I need to take Sideswipe to the hospital," Ironhide quickly said.

"Don't bring him there. He'll be an easy target."

"What are you talking about?"

The Enforcers' horns were getting louder.

"Just follow me to _The Illusionist_. I'll tell you everything and take care of both Sideswipe and Bluestreak's wounds."

"Take Sideswipe. I need to go the _Nuts 'n' Screws_ to check on Sunstreaker. Something had happened to him," Ironhide said as he stepped closer to Jazz.

The music mixer let out a silent curse. As quick as he could, he took Sideswipe and carried him on his back like what Ironhide had been doing. Prowl seemed hesitated, considering how he didn't know Jazz well enough to trust him, but seeing there was no other options as the Enforcers were getting closer. He shook his helm, carrying Bluestreak in his arms as he ran after Jazz into the small alleyway nearby.

Ironhide transformed and quickly headed to the brothel, determined to save Sunstreaker from whatever had happened to him. He had failed to save him once by being unaware of his existence, letting him be adopted by a slagger who let him become a pleasure mech. This was his chance to correct his mistake, for his own sake and for Sideswipe's sake.

He would seriously punch Sunstreaker's caretaker if he knew who that fragger was.

* * *

Skywarp rushed out of Lockdown's office after seeing what had happened on the screen.

It seemed to be he had underestimated that whore. Who would have thought with that wound and that pathetic frame he still had any strength left to bit Crawler's spike and ran out of the quarter? To be honest, it was quite a pretty impressive move. Taking advantage while Crawler and his thugs were charging up to counterattack and escape. For a pleasure mech who had just been raped, he sure was strong, not even forgot to damage the doorpad and lock his rapists inside his quarter. It took quite a lot of strength to break that pad with just a punch.

 _But his luck was running out._ Skywarp thought as he spotted the yellow mech, leaning and clinging onto the wall as he tried to move his exhausted frame towards the emergency exit. The assassin smirked and moved swiftly and silently towards Sunstreaker. It was fun to watch Crawler whining at his bitten and energon dripping spike, but it would be much more delightful to see what would happen to Sunstreaker after Skywarp caught him. No doubt he would receive worse than just a normal rough interfacing. Maybe this time Crawler would take Skywarp's advise to cut off his limbs so he couldn't fight back.

With the electric rod ready in his servos, Skywarp slowly approached his prey. Just a couple of kliks more and he would bring that pathetic, paralyzed frame back to face Crawler's judgement.

Just a few more steps and-

"What the-?!"

Skywarp yelped as someone had jumped on him from behind and pinned him down onto the floor. The sound had caused Sunstreaker to look back and notice his attacker.

"Sunstreaker, run! I can take care of myself! Go!"

"Lockdown?"

Sunstreaker widened his optics as the scene in which Lockdown, scratched frame and missing a servo, pinning Skywarp onto the ground, yelling at him, telling him to run away. Without any more questions, Sunstreaker commanded his tired limbs to move and ran away, pushing the emergency door opened and swung himself out of the brothel.

Skywarp cursed as he hit Lockdown with his elbow and push him off him, "How the frag did you get out?"

Lockdown tackled him down again after seeing he was trying to run after Sunstreaker, "How did you think I managed to survive in Kaon for stellar cycles? All I need is a reason to fight. And an opportunity."

* * *

Sunstreaker ran as quick as he could on his legs after he realized one his tires had blown up, probably from Skywarp's attack. He didn't know why Lockdown had helped him and why he looked like he had just gone through a fight. But right now, he pushed those questions aside as he headed towards the only place he knew he would find Sideswipe.

He had to tell Sideswipe Skywarp was after him. He had to protect him from that assassin.

He ignored the alert from his pain sensor and his low energon status, kept running as fast as he could with only Sideswipe in his processor. Despite feeling like his legs were about to break, his throat was about to snap and his helm would fell off and roll onto the ground; Sunstreaker pushed himself past any physical boundaries he had.

But his frame had reached its limit.

He fell down like a fallen tree onto the hard ground beneath. He groaned in pain as he tried to move his exhausted frame. Around him, mechs had gathered to see the writhing, transfluid-covered mech with a tempting bare valve on the ground. He asked for help, but could only produce static noise from his damaged throat. He lift up a servo, desperately asking for any kind spark to help him up, to bring him to Sideswipe's place and tell him about Skywarp. His spark broke when he saw them laughing, pointing digits at his helpless frame.

He shivered as a servo touch his aft. He growled as another one teasingly rubbed his sore valve. His frame was lift up roughly, despite his painful whining and unspoken pleas to leave him alone if they didn't intend to help him. But Sunstreaker knew what would happen to him. Like most of pleasure mechs who were unlucky and stupid enough to wander alone in the dark, he would be beaten, raped and abused and then left to offline in the back of an alleyway and then into forgotten.

His spark hurt at the thought of never seeing Sideswipe again.

"Get your filthy servos off him!"

It was like hearing Primus's voice. Sunstreaker widened his optics as the owner of the voice. Definitely not the mech he had been expected to show up and rescue him.

"With a call, I can bring the entire Kaon Enforcers here. Get your servos off him or I'll make it come true," the forest green mech put a servo in his audial, preparing to do as he said. The other servo held tight a laser pistol and pointed it towards the group of mechs.

The mechs looked at each other, shrugged and threw Sunstreaker away like some kind of a broken toy. As quick as he could, the forest green mech ran forward to hold Sunstreaker in his arms before he touched the ground. The mechs laughed, looking at them one last time before walking away, saying something like one pleasure mech didn't worth all of the troubles.

"Do you remember me, Sunstreaker? It's me. I'm Hound," the forest green mech said as he carried Sunstreaker in his arms, "Listen, I'm not going to hurt you. You'll be safe."

"Si... Side...," Sunstreaker tried to speak but choked again.

"Shh, it's going to be alright. I'll bring you to Sideswipe. He's safe. You'll be patched up and be as good as new," Hound said as he started running.

"Both of you will be safe. That I can make sure of."

* * *

Ironhide stopped and transformed as he reached the closed brothel.

He looked up to the windows, trying to spot at least one brightly lit room but found none. Now he wasn't sure if Sunstreaker was really here or not.

"Sunstreaker!"

He yelled, but got no response. The Battlemaster frowned as he moved closer to the door, intending to break it down if necessary. As he just took a couple of steps forward, the glass breaking sound from above had caused him to look up and spot a black and green mech jumping out of a window. The mech landed on his feet, red optics looked at Ironhide with surprise colored his faceplate.

"Lockdown? What the-?"

"No time to explain. RUN!"

Lockdown yelled as he grabbed Ironhide's arm and pull him away from the brothel. A couple of steps further and they both transformed into their Alt modes and drove away.

 _::Lockdown, where is Sunstreaker? What have you done to him?::_ Ironhide angrily asked.

 _::You mean you didn't see him running out of there? Frag!::_ Lockdown cursed.

_::What the frag is going on?::_

_::Look, me and Sunstreaker were attacked, alright? I stayed behind to fight them off and let Sunstreaker escape! He was hurt pretty bad so we have to find him no- wait. I've got a comm::_

_::Frag your comm! We have to find Sunstreaker NOW!::_ Ironhide growled and was about to steer away from Lockdown but the black and green mech had stopped him.

 _::Wait! My friend told me he had brought Sunstreaker to The Illusionist. We're heading there now before_ _**they** _ _know where we are::_

 _::Who are_ _**'they'** _ _?::_

Lockdown didn't reply, simply drove as fast as he could away from the brothel and towards the bar.

* * *

"Sunny..."

Sideswipe mumbled as he slowly regained his vision and consciousness. Slowly appearing before his optics were Dino - The Illusionist's bartender - and the young doctor who had angrily told Ironhide to go away back at the Central Hospital.

"Sunstreaker is safe, Sideswipe," Dino smiled as he touched the gladiator's shoulder, "Rest, alright? Fixit here had fixed the crack on your helm but you need to re-"

"Sunny is here?" Sideswipe widened his optics and sat up the berth. It was then he realized he was in a berthroom, maybe Dino's, not that he cared about it right now, "Where is he? I want to see him!"

"Sides... you won't like what you see," Dino sighed.

"I don't care. Where is he?" Sideswipe growled as he jumped off the berth and push Dino and Fixit aside. He walked past them, storming outside of the berthroom and saw Hound, surprised at him as he had just left the opposite room, "Sides? You're up?"

"Is Sunny in there?"

Sideswipe asked as he walked towards the room. Didn't even let Hound answer, he pushed the door opened and froze at the sight of an unconscious Sunstreaker lying silently on the berth. Immediately, he ran towards him and only stopped when he realized how bad Sunstreaker actually looked. His yellow chassis was covered in scratches and dents and dry energon. His throat was bare, looking too painful with all of the visible wires and cables. And what struck Sideswipe hardest was Sunstreaker's lower frame. His valve cover had been torn off, revealing his abused, swollen valve. Dry transfluid were everywhere on his frame, on his faceplate, around his mouth and tainted the wound in his throat. Transfluid covered his lower frame the most, especially around his interfacing part.

It wasn't too hard to guess what had happened to Sunny. **His** Sunny.

"Who did this?"

Sideswipe gritted his denta, digits curled into fists, "Was it Lockdown? Did Lockdown did this to him?"

"Sides... I don't think Lockdown did this to him," Hound sighed.

"Then WHO?" Sideswipe growled and suddenly slammed Hound against the wall, servos gripped his shoulder hard enough to cause pain, "WHO did this to him? Give me a designation so I can rip his helm off!"

"Sideswipe!"

Sideswipe turned to look who dared to call him at that moment. It was Prowl, rushing toward him with Jazz, Fixit and Dino following behind, "Let Hound go, Sideswipe."

"Tell me **who** did this to Sunny!"

"Sides, calm down," Prowl raised his servos up, "Let Hound go and let Fixit fix your brother up. Then I'll tell you who hurt Sunstreaker."

Sideswipe vented heavily. Offlining his optics and shaking his helm, finally letting go of Hound after a few kliks, he turned to look Prowl as Hound slowly backed away from him. Fixit immediately ran towards Sunstreaker, sitting down on the chair next to his berth and pulling down his tools from the toolbox he had been carrying around.

"We need to talk, Sideswipe."

Prowl firmly said as he pulled Sideswipe out of the room.

* * *

Mirage - as Sideswipe had just learned it was Dino's real designation - pulled down the curtain after he saw a few Enforcers' cars passing by on the street below. _The Illusionist_ had been closed early when the bartender received a comm from Jazz. There was no one else in here beside Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, Prowl, Fixit, Bluestreak, Hound, Jazz, Mirage and the newly arrived Ironhide and, surprisingly, Lockdown.

Right now, Fixit was absent from the meeting as he was busy fixing Sunstreaker in Jazz's berthroom. Meanwhile, Bluestreak had calmed down when Prowl trying to convince him he wasn't the one who had shot him. He silently hid under a table with his arms wrapping around his legs.

"Sideswipe, we finally find out who hurt Sunstreaker," Prowl said and as he noticed the glare the gladiator was giving Lockdown, he added, "It's not Lockdown. Though I'll say he had some faults in letting that happened."

"He told us he had made a deal with the Opidium smuggler. Credits for a large amount of Opidium," Jazz turned to look at Lockdown, who was silently listening to all of the mech in the room calling out his crimes.

"That explained the amount of Credits he wanted from me," Sideswipe muttered.

"Yes. But it didn't stop there," Jazz continued, "Lockdown was unable to provide the Credits the smuggler needed in time so he came up with another deal. Trading Sunstreaker for the Opidium."

"Which I had refused but he didn't listen," Lockdown corrected, "Look, I know what I've done and I'm ready to face the punishments I deserve but believe me when I say I don't want to hurt Sunstreaker. I said _'no'_ but he didn't listen."

"He said Sunstreaker was able to escape because he stayed back to fight the smuggler and his mechs," Ironhide added.

"Thank you," Lockdown looked at the old mech but only received a glare in return, "He attacked me and cut off my servo," he stopped to lift his servoless arm, "See?"

"We don't trust you, Lockdown. So you better shut up before I throw you out of the window," Sideswipe growled.

"There's more. Skywarp is working with the smuggler, probably being hired by him. The smuggler was the one who shot Bluestreak and murder a mech," Prowl stopped to look at Bluestreak, "He had brought his victim to the construction site and comm Hook to get him to help him disposing the corpse. That explained why you saw him with Hook at the site during the night Blue got shot."

Sideswipe frowned as he remembered that night. He had been chasing after Sunstreaker and then the yellow mech suddenly told him to stop, they had noticed and watched Hook discreetly entered the site and spotted the smuggler soon after.

"But who did he murder?" Sideswipe asked.

"The doctor who fixed Sunstreaker and noticed the trace of Opidium inside him," Lockdown answered, "Remember his two orns off? Sunstreaker never told you he was drugged with Opidium right? The smuggler was afraid he would let the secret out so he called the doctor to a secluded area, where Skywarp offlined him."

"And Bluestreak managed to witness it all," Prowl continued, "That was why Skywarp was sent to erase Bluestreak's data."

Sideswipe gritted his denta, frame shaking in rage at the revelation. That Opidium smuggler was the one who had hurt Sunstreaker to the point he had to replace his valve, and that fragger was also the one who had raped him, had caused him to be in the horrible state Sideswipe just saw.

"Who is he? Who is that smuggler?" the gladiator growled, optics flared with fury.

Prowl trade looks with Jazz and silently nodded, "There is a reason why Bluestreak freaked out when he saw me. It's because of the symbol on my shoulder," Prowl said as he pointed a digit towards the said symbol.

"Are you saying...?"

"Sideswipe, Bluestreak had lost a lot of data after Skywarp's attack. He couldn't remember the appearance of the mech he saw with Skywarp in the alleyway but he remembered seeing this symbol before getting shot."

"You mean the smuggler is an Enforcer," Ironhide said.

"Who else was able to call the doctor out to a secluded area? You think he would travel to a darkly lit alleyway if that comm was from a total stranger? Especially in Kaon?" Jazz said, "And which Enforcer had that kind of frame? Listen, looks can be deceiving. Masks and visors can be removed. Paint job can be temporary faked. So..."

Ironhide mumbled something before wrapping his servos around his helm, "Oh frag..."

"It's Crawler..." Lockdown said.

"...the Head Enforcer of the Kaon Enforcers," Prowl finished his sentence.

* * *

_**About a megacycle later,...** _

"I should have told you earlier. None of this would have happened."

"You have. It all that mattered."

Mirage smiled at Hound, who was crawling on four, trying to lure Bluestreak out from under the table with an energon treat, "Sometimes I wondered what would happen instead if you hadn't come to us... then Sunstreaker wouldn't...," he paused, turning around to throw a look at Lockdown, who was leaning against the wall, eyeing both of them with unreadable optics.

" **Everything** could be worse than this...," Hound sighed.

Mirage opened his mouth, but quickly stopped what he was intending to say. He turned around to take a quick look at Lockdown, then shook his helm, "Yeah." He replied and walked away, leaving Hound and his attempts to lure Bluestreak out alone. Only when Mirage had left that Lockdown slowly approached the forest green mech.

"So... it was you."

"What are you talking about, Lockdown?" Hound didn't even need to look up to know it was Lockdown's voice.

"You're the one who tipped Mirage and Jazz off about me making a deal with Crawler."

"I didn't say you were making a deal with Crawler. I didn't even know his designation. I only told them you were involved in an Opidium smuggling and that you tricked Sunstreaker into signing a lifetime contract to become a pleasure mech."

"It's the same thing, Hound. Why did you do that? I thought you were my friend."

"I did the thing any friends should have done. I don't want to see you destroying yourself and Sunstreaker. Now you've seen what Crawler was capable of, I think you know what I meant," Hound replied, didn't even bother looking up.

Lockdown sighed and as he was about to walk away, he heard Hound calling him, "Lockdown, I really wanted to punch you when I saw Sunstreaker and I still want to now. You know how he looked when those mechs molested him? Hurt. Defeated. Desperate. Hopeless. It broke my spark even though I wasn't exactly close to him. Now imagine what Sideswipe felt like when he saw Sunstreaker like that. Anything that had happened to him shouldn't have happened if you had found another way to save him."

Lockdown stayed silent.

"You told me you everything you did was to save his life. Look at him now. Do you think he needs what you've been throwing at him? You think he wants to be saved by the ways you do? You think you're selfless but in fact you're the most selfish slagger I've ever seen."

The black and green mech offlined his optics, keeping his mouth shut under his friend's harsh words. He didn't protest. He didn't excuse. Because he deserved all of these. What Hound had been saying was true.

"Get out of my sight," Hound sighed and continued with his attempt to pull Bluestreak out of his hiding place.

* * *

"He had been like this for a megacycle."

Fixit said as he looked at Sideswipe, carefully cleaning Sunstreaker's frame with a cloth. After Fixit finished fixing Sunstreaker's vocal cord, his communication system and replacing his valve cover and his tire, Sideswipe had determined to clean Sunstreaker's energon and transfluid covered frame by himself. Jazz had also helped Fixit removing Lockdown's code inside Sunstreaker to make sure his switch, which was in Crawler's servos now, didn't affect him anymore. It had taken both Ironhide and Jazz to stop Sideswipe from tearing Lockdown apart when he learnt of the switch. The gladiator gripped the cloth tightly in his servo as he gently and slowly cleaned his lover, his brother's frame from helm to pedes. His digits lingered at Sunstreaker's helm fins, his slightly parted lips and his chassis, right above his spark. It almost looked as if Sideswipe was afraid that Sunstreaker would disappear if he left him. His digits stopped at his lover's abused valve and his frame shook in rage, venting hard before resuming his task of cleaning the filthy dry transfluid and energon sticking on the yellow mech's frame off.

"It had been... tragic," Ironhide crossed his arms and turned to look at Jazz, "And why did you insist bringing Sideswipe here anyway?"

Jazz scratched his forehelm as he looked at the same-frame mechs, "After you and Sideswipe left the bar, Mirage intercepted a comm signal to Skywarp and... well, it seemed to be someone wasn't too happy with Sideswipe entering the _CGT_."

"Frag," Ironhide cursed. He knew too well this would mean Skywarp was back to his assassination contract. Looking at Prowl standing aside, he said, "I need to take Sideswipe and Sunstreaker out of Kaon now."

Prowl looked back at Ironhide, then silently turned them towards Sideswipe, who was still silently cleaning Sunstreaker's frame up.

"Yeah," the Enforcer sighed, "It would be best. I can send a clearance to the check-in station at the Kaon's entrance to-"

"Already done," Jazz announced as he lift his servo of his audial, finishing a quick comm while Prowl was still talking.

"What?" Ironhide frowned in surprise.

"Already done. Ironhide, you can go whenever you want. They'll approve nonetheless."

"Seriously, who are you really? What kind of authority you have to just throwing clearances away like that?" the old mech asked.

Before Jazz could answer, Prowl had calmly replied in his stead, " **Spec Ops**. Am I right?" He then looked at Jazz and received an amused grin in return. He had heard stories. _Of course_. Unexpected? Yes. A bit. But this revelation explained a lot of his own doubts regarding the mechs at _The Illusionists_.

"We report directly to Zeta Prime," suddenly, Fixit raised his voice.

"Fixit? You too?" both Prowl and Ironhide quickly turned their attention towards the young doctor.

"Yes. And you should have thought twice before kicking down the hospital's door and yelling at me to get away from Bluestreak," Fixit huffed as he remembered what had happened back at the Central Hospital, "Blue was recovering from his unconsciousness and your sudden appearance had set him on a panic mode. Especially with that Kaon Enforcer symbol."

"Fixit, I'm sorry. I didn't know you worked with Jazz and Mirage. Chromedome was ambushed by Scrapper when he tried to talk to Hook and you were the only one knew of our plan so..."

"It's a classic method, Prowl. Eavesdropping device. Skywarp stuck one underneath Bluestreak's berth when he attacked us. I found and destroyed it before Bluestreak recovered. You think why did I keep insisting that Bluestreak had lost all of his codes?"

"...to fool Skywarp. Fixit, you knew he would do so? What about Ironhide? Why did you try to chase him away?" Prowl took a quick look at the old mech.

"Because Ironhide isn't an Enforcer. Not anymore. I simply wanted to protect him," Fixit looked at Ironhide and spotted the surprise in the old mech's optics, "Jazz, Mirage and I received our task to investigate corruption within Kaon. So I know the scale of the crime will be huge. When I saw Ironhide I was angrier at you and Chromedome than at him. That part of his life was over and I didn't want anything bad happened to him again. So I tried to yell at him, hurt his pride and chase him away," he paused, "I'm sorry, Ironhide."

Ironhide stepped closer to Fixit and put a servo on his shoulder, "It's enough for me knowing you don't hate me for what I've done."

"You have your reasons. I understand."

Prowl smiled at the scene and then turned to look at Jazz, "So, how are you going to deal with Crawler?"

"With Bluestreak's extracted data, Lockdown's recorded statement and Sunstreaker's recorded of Lockdown's conversation with Crawler, it was enough to persuade Zeta Prime to arrest and investigate on Crawler. So don't worry about us. But we still need to get Sunstreaker, Sideswipe and Bluestreak and, well, Lockdown out of Kaon."

"Frag Lockdown. He was the one who caused all of this," Ironhide grunted.

"Yes, but he was also in danger. He was the one who knew about Crawler better than anyone else. Crawler will perceive him as a threat and Zeta Prime will need him to investigate further. We have to protect him for the time being, until Crawler is arrested," Jazz calmly said, "Believe me, I hate that fragger as much as you guys do but we have no other options."

Before Ironhide could protest, Mirage had approached the mechs and said, "Whatever you guys are about to do, hurry up. I intercepted the Enforcers' comm link and it seemed to be Crawler was about to head to _The Illusionist_."

Ironhide cursed and quickly ran towards Sideswipe, telling him the current situation they were in. Without any more words, Sideswipe lift Sunstreaker up and carried in his arms as he followed Ironhide out of the berthroom. "You coming?" Ironhide stopped a moment to look at Prowl.

"No," he replied, "Chromedome still hasn't replied my comm. I'll have to stay here and help him. Ironhide, please take care of Blue."

"Don't worry, Prowl. You aren't alone," Jazz grinned as he gently touched the white mech's shoulder.

* * *

Sunstreaker woke up inside Sideswipe's arms. Just like how he had always wanted. He looked up at the gladiator's faceplate, worried and anger painted it.

"Si... Sides...," he tried to speak, to work out his throat and realized his vocal cord had been replaced. His frame still hurt like slag but at least it was getting better.

Noticing the yellow mech's awaken, Sideswipe looked down, a gently smile ran across his face, "Hey, Sunny..."

"Wha... what hap...," it was a little hard to form words with the new vocal cord.

"We're going to get out of Kaon, Sunny. We're going to get you back to your caretaker. To Ratchet. You'll be safe from Crawler."

"Sky... Skywa... hu... hurts... you..."

"You'll protect me. I know you will. Just like how I'll protect you from Crawler," Sideswipe smiled as he bowed down and let his forehelm touched Sunstreaker's, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I wasn't there to stop Crawler from hurting you," Oh dear Primus, how much he wanted to kiss him, to love him and shelter him from his fear and painful memories of Crawler's abuse.

Afar, they could hear Ironhide's yelling at Lockdown, "You'd better get Bluestreak out of that table or I'll swear to Primus that I'll leave you behind for Crawler to deal with you!"

"Then why don't you shut up and stop freaking this sparkling out and let me do my job?!"

"Do you want me to throw you out of the window, you glitch? Because I'll do it if you speak just one more word-"

"Jerk."

"That's it. I'm throwing him out of the window."

Ironhide immediately rushed forward and Hound had to jump in to hold him back, "Ironhide, I know you're angry and I want to throw him out of the window too but please think of the big picture! And you, Lockdown! Shut the frag up and pull Bluestreak out of there! I don't care how! We're running out of time!"

Why was Lockdown here? Why was Bluestreak here? Why was he here? What the frag had happened and was happening?

So many questions that were swirling inside Sunstreaker's processor and his helm hurt. He moaned and Sideswipe could easily notice his pain. The gladiator tightened his arms around the yellow frame, soften voice comforting him, "It's going to be alright, Sunny. We'll go to Iacon. You'll be home soon."

It took a few cycles for Lockdown to finally pull Bluestreak out of his hiding place under the table. After that, he scared the young mech by telling him he would pull out his glossa if he screamed or even spoke just one word of objection. It wasn't the most ideal method to deal with an mentally unstable mech who almost had his databank completely erased but it was definitely effective as Bluestreak shut up and cling onto Ironhide as if he was a fortress protecting him from Lockdown.

"Crawler was getting near. I suspect Skywarp will fly around trying to spot us," Mirage ran into the room, "Go. I'll hold them off."

"Mirage...," Hound turned to look at the bartender, "Don't be stupid. Let me help you."

"You stay here and go with Jazz, Fixit and Prowl to the safehouse. If anyone can hold them off, it's me. Skywarp is not the only one with unique implant, my dear," Mirage grinned and leaned closer to Hound to plant a gentle kiss upon his cheek before slowly disappearing.

"Okay, now I know why you left me for him," Lockdown shrugged and commented, only to receive a glare from his old friend in return.

Without saying anything more to piss the accountant off, Lockdown looked away and followed Sideswipe, Ironhide and Bluestreak out of the bar. They used the backdoor and headed into a small alleyway to minimize the attention. Enforcers' horns could be heard almost everywhere they went. Crawler probably commanded the Enforcers to look for them after labeling them with some kinds of crime he could think of. In the Enforcers' optics, they would just simply be normal criminals needed to be arrested.

"Le...let... me... dow... I can... walk...," Sunstreaker sighed as Sideswipe still held him tight in his arms. It was frustrated to speak like that but his new vocal cord was still too stiff.

"Your frame is in healing, Sunny. I don't want you to get hurt."

"I... I'm... no... not a... frag...fra... ing... d...doll. Pu... put... me... dow...," Sunstreaker grunted.

"Not until you speak properly, Sunshine," Lockdown added.

"Frag... you."

Ironhide laughed. Running next to Sideswipe, Lockdown shook his helm and also grinned in amusement.

"Sunny, can you transform?" Sideswipe asked.

"Y...yes."

"Good. We're going to transform and drive as fast as we can when we hit the main road. I'll put you down when we get there, alright?"

Sunstreaker pouted, "F...fine..."

Sideswipe smiled and sped up when he heard the Enforcers' horns getting louder. Before him, Ironhide had grabbed Bluestreak's servo and made him run faster. The young mech looked terrified, but silently and obediently followed the Battlemaster. It would take a couple of more alleyways to reach the main road, where they would continue on their Alt modes towards the check-in station.

"Sides...," Sunstreaker suddenly said, "I... I...am... sor... sorry..."

"You don't have to sorry about anything, Sunny. I should have been there for you when Crawler hurt you."

"I... I...am sorry... I... I lied... we... we... are... aren't... bro... brothers...," Sunstreaker sighed.

"What?" Ironhide turned his helm around to look at the yellow mech.

"I... I lied... I... tri... tried... to... tri... trick Lock... Lockdown," Sunstreaker continued, "I... I lied... to fo... fool..."

"So you were trying to trick me into believing you and Sideswipe were over," Lockdown said, "I had my doubts but... actually, that was pretty smart."

"Shut up, Lockdown," Sideswipe glared at Lockdown before looking back at Sunstreaker, "Sunny... I don't know why you tried to trick Lockdown but... it was true, Sunny. We are brothers. We are twins. I could feel your pain when Crawler hurt you. I was panic when I couldn't sense you anymore. Sunny, we are twins. I can feel your pain right now."

"N...no... it... it's... not... true...," Sunstreaker choked, finally came to the realization that he had to accept the truth.

"Sunny... I love you. Can you feel **me**? Through our bond."

Sunstreaker gasped. His spark pulsed in pain, mixing with the warmth and comfort his brother was trying to flood into it. He had wanted to deny the evidences, had wanted to believe Sideswipe wasn't his brother. But how could he reject to that truth now? When Sideswipe kept sending his consolations toward their bond. The yellow mech stayed silent within his brother's arms, didn't know what to say. It was such a cruel fate, falling in love with his own twin brother, having their relationship developed too far too deep to easily accept the truth and turn away from the happy future they had drawn together.

"And I'll love you no matter what, Sunny. I don't care if we're brothers. I don't care if the whole society judges me for being a sick, disgusted glitch or whatever. I can't treat you the way a brother should when I only know how to love you the way a lover would," Sideswipe looked into Sunstreaker's widened optics, firmly stated, "I can't bear to look at anyone else touching you the way I do. Ever again."

Ironhide sighed and shook his helm after he heard all of Sideswipe's declaration of love, "You and I are going to have a long talk when we reach Iacon, Sides."

Sideswipe ignored Ironhide and kept his focus on the surprised, pained yellow mech in his arms. He could sense Sunstreaker's uncertainty and his guilt. And the only thing he could right now was holding him tight and kept comforting his twin through their bond. Running beside them, Lockdown looked at the twins and couldn't help but feeling jealous of what they had been talking.

How the frag could he ever think that there would a chance to be together with Sunstreaker?

Sunstreaker would never love and trust him again.

The mechs kept running until they reached the main road. Sideswipe put Sunstreaker down and worriedly looked at him transforming into his Alt mode. He could clearly see the pained expression on Sunstreaker's faceplate as he tried to transform and move his sore frame forward. Following Ironhide, Lockdown and Bluestreak, Sideswipe also transformed and stayed close to his brother while they were driving toward the check-in station.

They left Kaon without turning their helms around to give it one last look.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Ratchet is in next chapter.


	12. The Hidden Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sunstreaker experienced the horrible aftermath of what Crawler had done to him. Meanwhile, Lockdown revealed his real reasons for everything he had done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Klik ~ a Cybertronian second
> 
> Cycle ~ a Cybertronian minute
> 
> Megacycle ~ a Cybertronian hour
> 
> Orn ~ a Cybertronain day
> 
> Quintun ~ a Cybertronian week
> 
> Diun ~ a Cybertronian month
> 
> Stellar cycle ~ a Cybertronian year

 

_**At a small clinic somewhere in Iacon...** _

It was a pretty normal morning for First Aid.

The nurse had checked on every patients staying in the clinic. Nothing too major. All seemed to be recovering from their injuries and soon would leave the clinic. The medical supplies were good, too. Enough to last for about two more diuns if there weren't going to have any catastrophes happened.

Normal. Except for Ratcher's temper.

First Aid couldn't help but notice his mentor's mood had been getting worse lately, even more than when Sunstreaker had left Iacon. As the nurse was about to enter Ratchet's office to give him reports on the patients, he almost pumped into the doctor as he rushed out of the room, "Doctor, where are you going?"

"I'm going to drag Sunstreaker back here," Ratchet said as he walked faster.

"You know where he is?" First Aid asked as he quickly followed the doctor.

"No. But I'm going to find out."

First Aid shook his helm and as he was about to tell the doctor to reconsider his decision, he heard the clinic's bell ringing, notifying mechs walking into the place. Ratchet sighed and quickly walked to the reception area, raising his voice, "I'm sorry but unless you're going to offline, I can't help you right no-"

He stopped as he recognized the mech standing in the room. The yellow frame covered in scratches and dents. The familiar exotic helm fins. The perfectly shaped faceplate filled with exhaustion. Ratchet had almost felt like he wouldn't be able to see them again. Without any more words, he ran forward the yellow mech with his opened arms. Before the mech could react or say anything to protest, he was wrapped in a tight embrace, making him wince in pain and feeling like every cables inside him was about to snap under the unbelievable strength from the doctor. Ratchet vented heavily, tightened his arms around the yellow frame he had missed so much, before letting him go and immediately smacking his helm hard.

"This is for making me worried, you glitch!"

The yellow mech winced, wrapping his servos around his helm. Before Ratchet could smack him again because of how much he had pissed him off for ignoring his comm last night, the red mech standing behind had ran forward and stood between Ratchet and his sparkling, "Ratchet, stop! Sunny is hurt!"

"What?"

Normally, Sunstreaker was a tough mech and could even withstand a wrench in his helm, so Ratchet didn't have to worry much about hurting him just by a simple smack at the helm. But the way the red mech stopped him and especially the pained expression on Sunstreaker's faceplate had caused Ratchet to leap forward and pull his sparkling away.

Following close behind, Ratchet could see First Aid and the red mech that had stopped him, two other mechs who were total strangers to him, and another old red mech that he swore he had seen somewhere. They all looked tired. Their frames covered in dust as if they had just gone for a long drive. And Ratchet didn't like how Sunstreaker looked. Dents, scratches and dusts were everywhere. The yellow mech was famous for his beauty and he determined to keep that reputation, taking care of himself and couldn't even stand other mechs touching with just the tips of their digits let alone having a single dust on his frame.

"What happened?" Ratchet turned to look at the group of mechs after he pushed Sunstreaker to sit down on a berth for examination. First Aid ran away and quickly returned with a stack of wet towels for the mechs to clean themselves up.

"It's a long story. I'll tell you all later. Right now, all of us need a rest. Especially Sunny," the young red mech replied as he sat down on a chair nearby.

"I...I am... fine...," Sunstreaker pouted. He was getting used to his new vocal cord but it would take some more time for him to speak properly. His rough voice had caused Ratchet to frown, knowing nothing good had happened.

"You're not. You almost shut down twice on our way to Iacon," the black and green mech sighed, "You need a rest. Like all of us."

Ratchet turned to look at the mech and noticed his servoless arm. He looked at the other two mechs. The old mech was silent, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall. The grey young mech with the Enforcer symbol was now sitting on the floor, behind a closet as if he was hiding from something.

Ratchet didn't like this at all.

"First Aid, prepare the energon cubes and berths for them," Ratchet stood up.

The nurse nodded, and then quickly told the group of mechs to clean themselves up while he prepared the place for them to rest. On the berth nearby, Sunstreaker sighed, looking at his caretaker as he walked away.

He knew Ratchet would be furious knowing everything that had happened.

* * *

_**A couple of megacycles later,...** _

Sunstreaker woke up when he felt something moving against his back.

He groaned and whined in frustration from the sudden movement. He was tired, exhausted and he wanted to have a nice recharge. Was that too much to ask? Suddenly, a pair of arms wrapped around him and that only made him more uncomfortable.

"Get off me...," he sighed, struggling to get out of the arms but only feeling them tightening by kliks.

His frustration turned into panic as he felt a servo moving down to touch his codpiece. He didn't know when but suddenly his valve cover disappeared, allowing the two cold, cruel digits dipped into the dry and sore valve. "Get off me!" Sunstreaker panicked, trying to get away from the grip. His frame froze as a familiar, haunting voice found its way to his audials.

"You'll never escape from me, my little private whore ~ "

Sunstreaker wanted to scream.

* * *

"Sunny! Wake up! Sunstreaker!"

Sideswipe shook his brother hard, making those optics online and widen at the familiar faceplate in front of him.

It was just a memory loop. There was no voice. There were no servos touching him.

There was no Crawler.

Sunstreaker vented heavily, arms wrapping around himself as he curled into a fetus pose, frame shook hard. Not far from him, Ironhide, Lockdown and Bluestreak had woken up and were sitting on their berths, eyeing him with worried optics. Shame colored his faceplate as he heard footsteps and the door slid open shortly after. Ratchet ran into the room and immediately to Sunstreaker's side. The yellow mech grunted and looked away as he offlined his optics, turning his back against all of the mechs inside the room.

"Sunny... it's ok," Sideswipe climbed onto Sunstreaker's berth and sat next to him, a servo gently touched his shoulder, "We're here. I'm here for you. Nobody is going to hurt you again."

"Again?"

Ratchet shot the red mech a surprising glare, "Now hold up. Who hurt my sparkling? What happened to him? And who the frag are you guys?"

"Ratch... it's... nothing," Sunstreaker grunted, trying to shift away from Sideswipe's touch.

"Seriously? You didn't know? Or you just don't care?"

It was Ironhide who had decided to speak up, ending his silence ever since he had left Kaon. The Battlemaster then jumped off his berth and walked closer to Ratchet. "'Hide, please..." Sideswipe sighed.

"What are you talking about, old mech?" Ratchet frowned at the old mech. He was sure he had seen him somewhere before.

"You are his caretaker and yet you let him become a pleasure mech! You let him sell his frame to strangers for a living! Where were you when he was tricked and raped and almost offlined? What kind of caretakers are you? You should have been there for him! You shouldn't have let him be alone like that!"

"Ironhide! Stop!" Sideswipe jumped off Sunstreaker's berth and ran towards his caretaker.

Shock painted the doctor's faceplate and his mouth dropped opened. His Sunstreaker, his sparkling, had been a pleasure mech. The vain, hard-to-get Sunstreaker had been a pleasure mech, spreading his legs for strangers almost in every night. His sparkling had been tricked and raped and almost offlined? Ratchet stumbled backwards, feeling the information was too much to take. He fell down onto a chair, buried his helm in his servos.

So this was the reason why Sunstreaker hadn't commed him for such a long time?

He slowly turned to look at Sunstreaker, still lying with his back facing him, too ashamed to look at his caretaker, "Was it true?" he asked with a shaken voice, as if he still couldn't accept what the old mech had just revealed.

Sunstreaker stayed silent. Too silent that Sideswipe had to climb on his berth again, had to use both of his servos to touch him, had to comfort him through their bond and only received pain and shame in return. Under Sideswipe's caring servos, Sunstreaker's frame shook.

"Get... out...," he growled, though sounded more like a whimper.

"Sunny...," Sideswipe leaned closer to the yellow mech.

"Get... out...!" Sunstreaker growled louder, swinging his arm and unintentionally hit Sideswipe's faceplate. The red mech grunted at the pain in his cheek, but stubbornly stayed where he was.

Looking at the twins for a while, Lockdown sighed and offlined his optics. He climbed off his berth and walked closer to the doctor, "Ratchet, I'll tell you everything that happened to Sunstreaker."

Ironhide turned to give an _are-you-sure_ look to the black and green mech. He knew too well Ratchet would murder him if he knew it was him who had caused that series of Sunstreaker's misfortunes. The doctor looked at Lockdown, then silently nodded, "Tell me everything."

"Let's talk... somewhere else," Lockdown replied, tilting his helm towards the yellow mech.

Ratchet didn't say anything, simply stood up and walked out of the room, only stopped for a moment to wait for Lockdown to follow. The black and green mech narrowed his optics as he gave the twins one last look. As he caught Sideswipe's optics staring back at him, he quickly said, "Stay here. He needs you."

"I d... don't...!," Sunstreaker stubbornly said.

"Even though he may not act like it," Lockdown added, before walking towards Ratchet.

Ironhide let out a frustrated sigh before running after Lockdown, muttering something like he wouldn't let another murder happen. It didn't take long to have the silence returned to the dimly lit room. Sideswipe stayed close to Sunstreaker, ignoring his pleas of leaving him alone. Not far from them, hiding under the blanket, Bluestreak silently observed the twin brothers. He saw how Sunstreaker struggled, trying to tell Sideswipe to go away with his stiff, sore throat and husky voice. He saw how Sideswipe stubbornly stayed where he was, servos petting his brother's helm fins, kept telling him he would never leave him alone.

It took quite some time for Sunstreaker to finally calm down and give up trying to shove Sideswipe away.

"Why... do you... still here? I don't... wa... want you... here."

Sunstreaker sighed, still lying with his back facing Sideswipe. The red mech had lied down behind his brother, resting his chin on the yellow shoulder as he protectively wrapped his arms around his waist.

"I think... I just don't want to leave you out of my sight again," Sideswipe said as he tightened his hug.

"I... I'm dis... disgust...ing," Sunstreaker offlined his optics, "I... hurt... you... I'm... not... good... en...ough... fo-for... you..."

"You've **never** hurt me, Sunny. And you're not disgusting. You're always more than anything I could ask for."

"Bu...but we... are... bro... thers."

"So what? I don't care," Sideswipe replied as he turned Sunstreaker around, facing him, "That can only make me love you more knowing you had been there for me all the times. All of the pain. All of the happiness you've been sharing with me even before I met you. Our bond happens to be the most wonderful thing in my life. **You** are the most wonderful mech in my entire life."

"Please... don't... make this... harder... for... us," Sunstreaker offlined his optics, refusing to look Sideswipe in the optics, "We... can't... d... do this."

"Why can't we, Sunny? We can make this work. Together."

"It... it's **wrong**..."

"Is loving a mech with all my spark wrong? Sunny... I love you," Sideswipe said as he leaned closer, slowly and gently planted a kiss upon Sunstreaker's lips.

The yellow mech onlined his optics immediately as he felt the touch. An internal battle broke out inside his processor, wondering if he should kiss Sideswipe back or not. Despite knowing their true relation, Sunstreaker still loved Sideswipe and _frag_ , how much he had wanted that kiss. He pressed into the kiss, eagerly showing Sideswipe that he wanted this, he wanted him, too. But then suddenly, Crawler's face flashed before his optics, along with repetitive words _'we can't do this'_ , _'we are twins'_ ringing inside his processor. Sunstreaker panicked and shoved Sideswipe away.

"Sunny...!" Sideswipe gasped.

Sunstreaker sighed and turned around again, "I... want... to be... alo..ne... please..."

Before the gladiator could say anything more to comfort the distress mech before his optics, he heard a horrible sound coming from outside their room. It sounded like breaking objects, mixing with the doctor's angry cries. Lockdown must have told him everything.

Sunstreaker sighed, offlined his optics and buried his face in his servos. Sideswipe rubbed his back, giving him a light kiss upon his helm fin before climbing off the berth and heading outside.

* * *

"Let me go so I can rip his other servo off!"

Sideswipe followed Ratchet's angry voice and soon found himself standing inside his office, only to catch the sight of First Aid and Ironhide trying to restrain the doctor from tearing Lockdown apart. By the way Lockdown was sitting on the floor, rubbing his cheeks, Sideswipe could have guessed that Ratchet had rewarded him a punch for his story.

"Look! Everybody want to dismantle him and feed his parts to a turbofox but CALM THE FRAG DOWN! Or I'll make you!" Ironhide growled, pinning Ratchet on the floor with his own frame.

"Please, doctor, other patients are resting! I know you're angry but can we at least know why Lockdown he did... those... **things** to Sunstreaker?" First Aid added.

"I don't fragging care! He hurt my sparkling! He tricked him and turned him into a whore! He let all of this happened to him! Get your servos off me so I can throw him into a melting vast!" Ratchet angrily yelled, trying to get away from Ironhide's strong frame.

Lockdown swiped the energon off his mouth and noticed Sideswipe as he turned around, "Where's Sunstreaker?" he asked.

"He's resting," Sideswipe shrugged, "And don't think I'm going to help you stand up. 'Cause I won't."

Lockdown snorted and slowly stood up. He looked at Sideswipe, and then at the angry doctor, Ironhide and First Aid. Sighing, he finally raised his voice, optics offlined.

"Sunstreaker is going to **offline**."

All of the mechs stopped whatever they were doing. All optics fixed at Lockdown as surprise painted their faceplates. The silence and the shock had made First Aid felt like he shouldn't be here. Not to mention he started receiving comms from the patients complaining about the noise. Silently, the nurse slipped out of Ratchet's office and let the mechs personally dealt with themselves.

"What?" Sideswipe frowned.

"It's just a matter of time. Sunstreaker is carrying... **an enhancement** that will offline him in a near future."

"Sunstreaker doesn't have any enhancement," Ratchet snapped back.

"Look. I ran the test, alright? Most gladiators have this enhancement."

Lockdown claimed, optics shifted to look at Sideswipe. The red mech widened his optics at his words. Even Ironhide seemed surprised, "Sunstreaker isn't a gladiator... is he?"

Ratchet sighed, nodding after a few kliks of silence and curious looks throwing at him, "He is. No. It's more like... he **was**."

Ironhide slowly let Ratchet go and helped him standing up. The doctor continued, "I didn't adopt Sunstreaker. My friend did. And he was a Battlemaster in Iacon. I only look after Sunstreaker after he offlined due to a spark failure. Sunstreaker was a gladiator here, going by the name **Spinout** every time he was in the Arena."

"So that's how it is...," Ironhide muttered as he remembered the comm back at the Central hospital, in which an old friend mentioned the name Spinout to him. That explained his curious strength.

"This is a knowledge not many mechs know," Lockdown continued, "Gladiators are implanted with a special enhancement in their sparks, allowing them to fight more fiercely and effectively in battles. Most of them, like Sunstreaker, don't even know they have this enhancement. Usually Battlemasters are the ones who plant it in them. Right, Ironhide?"

"Ironhide?"

Sideswipe gasped as he turned to look at his caretaker, a servo subconsciously touched his chassis. What Lockdown had been saying... was it true that he, too, carried this kind of enhancement? In his spark?

The old mech frowned and sighed, "Lockdown is right. I **do** know about this enhancement."

"What?" all of the mechs inside the office except for Lockdown now focused on him.

"But I'd never use it on you, Sides!" Ironhide quickly said, "I trained you to fight with your own strength! A mech approached me and told me about this enhancement and I said no! I fragging told him to frag off!"

"That was why Skywarp appeared," Lockdown continued, again in the spotlight of the attention, "Skywarp's contract was never about offlining you, Sideswipe. There were many easier ways to assassinate a mech. Why do you think he had to choose the hardest option, waiting until you opened your spark chamber for him?"

Sideswipe shivered as memories came back to him. Digits curled tighter on his chassis as he remembered Skywarp's cruel needles touched his spark. Lockdown had a point, though. Skywarp could easily offline the doctor who had treated Sunstreaker, could easily neutralize Ironhide and the Enforcers back at the Central Hospital and offline them all if he had wanted. So why had he seduced Sideswipe? Why pretended to love him and hurt him like this?

"...he planted the enhancement inside me. Inside my spark," Sideswipe muttered. The truth was too painful to admit. His spark pulsed sadly at the revelation, and suddenly it met with another feeling. Questioning it, _'Are you alright'_ , or something similar. Calming it. Comforting it. Sideswipe smiled sadly, knowing who was trying to make him feel better.

"Wait. Wait," Ironhide raised his servos up, "So that slagger put that fragging enhancement inside Sideswipe's spark. And Sunstreaker was also carrying this... thing. What did you mean when you said... _'this enhancement can offline mechs carrying it'_?"

"I meant what I said. The enhancement allows gladiators to fight more effectively but at the same time, it slowly weakens their sparks and at some point they'll offline due to sparks failure. It creates a life-cycle for the gladiators, bringing them glory for a while and also retirement when they know their time is up. For a long-lived species like Cybertronians, it's a way to make sure no gladiators stay in the top for too long. The enhancement is permanent so it can't be lift off."

"So you are saying... our sparklings...," both Ironhide and Ratchet said, exchanging looks with each other.

"Yes, **both** Sunstreaker and Sideswipe are going to offline. That was why I had been trying to save Sunstreaker for stellar cycles."

Sideswipe fell down onto a chair nearby, putting a servo on his own chassis as if he was trying to reach his spark, to ask it if everything Lockdown had been saying were true, if he was going to offline, if Sunstreaker was really going to offline. He didn't know when Ironhide had sat down next to him, silently wrapping an arm around his shoulders and pulled him close to him.

"By turning him into a whore?" Ratchet growled, looking at Lockdown with a visible hatred.

"By temporary slowing down the process of the enhancement," the black and green mech said, "I've found out two options to terminate the enhancement. The basic idea is to create an energy wave through the spark strong enough to burn the enhancement. Spark bonding is a solution. If two sparks choose each other, the mechs will create a spark bond stronger than any bond possible and also exchanging their energy in the process. This energy wave can refresh the state of the enhanced spark and turned it back to how it used to be before being enhanced in order to create the spark bond."

"But your and Sunny's sparks didn't choose each other...," Sideswipe looked at Lockdown, remembered what Sunstreaker had told him.

For a klik, Sideswipe could see the pain in Lockdown's optics, but he quickly returned to his stoic self as he spoke, "It's never easy to find sparks that choose yours. Usual spark merging and interfacing can slow down the process but can't completely terminate it like spark bonding. I need to keep Sunstreaker charged-up and interfaced while I was looking for his possible bondmates, someone whose spark chose his. You know how stubborn Sunstreaker is, he would never agree to interface and merge sparks with strangers unless you forced him to. So I tricked him into becoming a pleasure mech, putting not only cameras but also other sensors and monitoring devices inside his quarter to find out the information as well as the spark signals of every mech that step into his room. Compatible spark signals have higher chance to choose each other."

"And did you find any sparks compatible to his?" Sideswipe asked. Servos curled into fists as he tried to restrain himself from punching Lockdown. He could have found another way. A better way. Without forcing Sunstreaker to become a pleasure mech.

"Yes," Lockdown answered, " **Yours**. And Crawler's."

Sideswipe looked up at him. Suddenly, he snorted, "Of course we are compatible." _We are twins after all_ , he thought, bitterly smiled at the truth that he and Sunstreaker were only compatible to each other because they were brothers.

"You're a gladiator, who also have enhanced spark that can make both of your sparks worse if you two merge. And Crawler... maybe I don't need to tell you why he was out of the list," Lockdown shook his helm, "Sunstreaker was getting worse lately. He didn't interface enough ever since he met you, Sideswipe. And even though I hated you and wanted to separate you from him, I couldn't because you made him happy. You made him feel better and I felt that letting him be with you was the least I could do for him after all the distress I had caused."

Sideswipe narrowed his optics at the black and green mech's words. So that was why Lockdown hadn't said anything about Sunstreaker sneaking out with him to _The Illusionist_. That was why he had stopped Ironhide from separating them. That was why Lockdown had given Sunstreaker two orns off to be with him. The gladiator looked at Ironhide and Ratchet. Seeing how his caretaker had been looking at him with worried and understanding optics. Seeing how Ratchet still stood in silence, as if trying to arrange all of the information together.

"His worsen condition had led me to the second options. The Opidium. This banned mineral can create a great amount of energy that can purge Sunstreaker's spark..."

"...or offline him," Ratchet growled, "Too much energy can still lead to spark failure, even quicker than the enhancement."

"It won't if it's used with a right amount. Crawler helped me test a very small amount of Opidium on Sunstreaker and it worked. Although still not enough to terminate the enhancement. But the consequences..."

"Sunstreaker was sent to the hospital and the doctor who treated him lost his life. That was a big price to pay for a test, you fragger," Ironhide said, glaring at Lockdown.

"I'm going to beat you later because of what that old mech just said but I'll beat you now if you don't continue," Ratchet pointed a digit towards the black and green mech.

"I need the Opidium to cure Sunstreaker, it's simple like that. But I don't have enough Credits so... you know what happened," Lockdown finished, "Now you know why I have to do all of this."

"You could have found another way...," Sideswipe muttered, Sunstreaker's pained faceplated kept appearing inside his processor, "...you could have found a better way."

Silence fell down, wrapping the mechs inside it as they were all deeply in thoughts. Lockdown was to blamed of everything that had happened to Sunstreaker but he had his reasons. Nobody judged these for saving the mech he loved but there were nothing that could forgive for what he did to his ex-lover. Letting out a sigh, Ironhide stood up and put a servo in his audial, "I'm comming Prowl. He and the Spec ops guys might know what to do."

Sideswipe silently looked at him and nodded.

_::Are you guys safe?::_ Prowl answered after a few kliks, straight into the point.

_::Yes, for now. We've arrived at our destination. Safe and sound. But things are getting more complicated. I need you-::_

_::Stay where you are. There is a Spec Ops agent in Iacon that- what?::_ a series of gunshot soon followed Prowl's surprised voice. Worried, Ironhide quickly asked, _::Prowl, what is happening?::_

_::Frag! This is-::_ the comm started to get static, more and more loud breaking noise and gunshot were heard in the background _::-not-a very-goo-oh Primus-Chrome-dome?::_

_::Prowl? What happened with_ _**Chromedome** _ _?::_

_::...::_ Noises grew louder. Enforcers' siren joined in the mix of sounds. And then, Ironhide heard a heavy sigh, and Prowl's rare emotional voice, _::I'm_ _ **sorry**_ _, Ironhide::_

And with that, the other line of the comm abruptly fell into silence. Visible panic painted the old faceplate. Ironhide tried to make more calls after that. To Prowl. To Chromedome. To Fixit. But all lines met the same cold and disturbing silence.

"What is happening?" Sideswipe frowned.

"I don't know. Something bad had happened to them. Frag!" Ironhide cursed, pouring all of the frustration into his fist as he punched the wall, hard enough to leave some small cracks behind. Worrying about Prowl and the mechs back at Kaon was one thing. The other was the realization that they would be alone, having no support and nobody to call for help.

They were on their own.

Finally, Sideswipe raised his voice after a few kliks of silence, "I'm going to enter the _CGT_. I'm going to win first prize and give you the Credits to buy the Opidium and cure Sunstreaker."

His words surprised Ratchet and Lockdown. Ironhide turned his helm to look at Sideswipe with narrowed optics. They all knew that Skywarp had received an assassination contract on Sideswipe just because he had entered the CGT. Sideswipe could withdraw from the tournament now, but Ironhide doubted that there would be anything that can change his mind. Not to mention withdrawing meant defeats for a gladiator. And for a mech that had had history of being humiliated for failure like Sideswipe, this action would wound him even further. They would have to come up with a tactic to deal with this issue. But for now, the old mech sat down again next to his adopted sparking and rubbed his back, said, "I'll also find a way to obtain the Credits," he looked up at Lockdown, "And you're going to find enough Opidium to cure both Sideswipe and Sunstreaker."

"Are you two insane?" Ratchet yelled.

"Do you want to save your sparkling or not?" Ironhide gave the doctor a harsh glare.

"I just don't trust this fragger, claiming he can save my sparkling with a banned, harmful mineral!" Ratchet snapped back, looking at Ironhide while pointing a digit towards Lockdown.

"You heard what he said! The test with the Opidium worked! He only needed a right amount!"

"Listen to yourself! You sound just like him! It's always about _'there's no other ways'_! There **is**!"

"If you can find another safer way to cure your and my sparkling, I'm happy to listen. But if you can't, then we do it this fragger's way!" Ironhide stood up and walked closer to Ratchet, "Our sparklings are carrying time bombs within their sparks. I'm not going to sit here and wait for a miracle to happen."

Ratchet vented heavily, conflicted thoughts raced inside his processor. He winced, shoving Ironhide away from his personal space, "Do what you want. But I'm going to find another way to save my sparkling!"

Ironhide frowned, shaking his helm as he slowly shifted his attention from Ratchet to Lockdown, "And you. You'd better find another Opidium smuggler to get the Opidium. And this time, choose carefully."

"I can do that," Lockdown said and looked at the gladiator, "Sideswipe, now that you know the truth. There is something I suggest you should do. For both of your sake."

* * *

_**Couples of cycles later,...** _

First Aid had been running around the clinic for what felt like forever.

Since Ratchet had been occupied with whatever was going with the group of mechs, First Aid had to run the clinic by himself. Checking in new patients. Taking care of current patients. Examining them. Kept telling them Ratchet was just dealing with a stubborn patient. Explaining the noise. Checking out cured patients. Cleaning up. Bringing energon cubes for them. As he was about to think he finally got some megacycles to rest, his hope shattered as the doctor yelled again.

"HE'S **NOT** DOING THAT!"

In his office, Ratchet crossed his arms, optics staring at the two mechs along with Lockdown, "Sideswipe is not interfacing with Sunstreaker! He's mentally unstable right now after all that happened to him! **Nobody** is interfacing with him!"

"If he doesn't, his spark will get worse. So does Sideswipe's," Lockdown said, "And I'm not saying they have to do it now."

"No. But you mean it," Ratchet frowned.

"There are more than one reason not to let them interface," Ironhide stepped forward and for the first time seemed to stand on the same side as Ratchet, "They are twin brothers!"

Ratchet widened his optics, "Wait, I thought Sideswipe was-"

"His lover. Yes. They didn't know they were twins, alright? So it was bad enough for them to fall in love with each other. I don't want to make this any worse. They are not interfacing and this is final!"

"They are brothers... and they already kissed... and... and... oh Primus...," Ratchet mumbled, feeling his processor was getting dizzy from all of the news he had received that orn. He remembered how happy he had been when Sunstreaker had told him he fell in love with a mech. And then his comm right in the middle of their love making. And Sideswipe telling him how much he loved Sunstreaker. He could have stopped them. He had been there. Hearing all of the confessions from both Sunstreaker and Sideswipe. Knowing how far their relationship had developed.

But the only thing he had done was encouraging them.

This was too much for him. His sparkling had been tricked, had been a pleasure mech, had been raped, had been carrying an enhancement that would offline him in the near future, had fallen in love with his own twin brother. Feeling like he couldn't take it anymore, his processor shut down and he collapsed. Quickly, both Ironhide and Sideswipe ran to his side, lift him up and laid him down onto a couch nearby.

"This is something they both have to do!" Lockdown said firmly, staring at the two red mechs.

"Bring them to a brothel or something! I won't let them fragging each other again!"

Ironhide shouted at the black and green mech. Sideswipe, having enough of the mechs talking about him and Sunstreaker as if he wasn't there, stood straight up and angrily said, "That's enough! I'm right here! Why don't you ask me or Sunny what we want? Stop making decisions for us!"

"Because I know too well what you will choose!" Ironhide glared at the gladiator, "You've already made it clear that you would continue to love Sunstreaker, despite knowing you two being twins!"

"I love him and I will continue to do so! I've never gotten to know him as a brother! If we were raised together as a normal pair of twins then it would be different but I'm sorry we weren't, alright? From the moment I laid my optics on him, I've been attracted to him! I've never wanted to bond with anyone else but him!"

"Sides, you stop now or-"

"Or what? I can't change my love for him! And I won't! So help me but I won't let anyone else beside me touch him and 'face him! Nor I won't touch anyone but him! He needs me and I need him, too!"

"You don't know what you're talking about! You two are not interfacing again!"

Sideswipe curled his digits into fists, glaring at his caretaker for a couple of kliks and finally gave him a harsh growl, "Try me." He turned around and quickly ran out of the office. Knowing what he was about to do, Ironhide lunged himself towards the gladiator, but he fell down hard on the floor as Lockdown jumped on him and pinned him down.

"Get off me, fragger!" Ironhide shouted at Lockdown but the black and green mech stubbornly kept his position.

"You can't stop them," Lockdown said, "They won't let anyone else touch them and you know it."

"I said GET-OFF-ME!" Ironhide growled as he turned and threw the mech off him. Lockdown's strength was no match for him and he easily got out of his grip.

"Ironhide!"

Lockdown stood up and quickly chased after Ironhide as the Battlemaster ran after Sideswipe to stop whatever he was planning to do.

* * *

Sunstreaker didn't know what had happened that made Sideswipe so sad and angry like this.

He lied in silent, a servo pressing on his chassis as he felt all sorts of troubled feelings through the twins bond. His best guess would be his caretaker's reactions to everything that had happened to him, and then Sideswipe...

Sideswipe must have told them they were twins.

Shaking in shame, Sunstreaker offlined his optics as he remembered all the time he had spent together with Sideswipe, with his twin brother. Why hadn't he realized it before? The mutual relaxed, familiar feelings they both had when they first met. If they had just recognized each other as twins then, their relationship wouldn't have gone this far.

But at the same time, Sunstreaker thanked Primus for not recognizing Sideswipe as his twin.

Suddenly, he heard the sound of the opening door and quickened footsteps. Must be Ratchet. Trying to drag him out to have a talk with him. He thought as he didn't bother turning to look who. He had expected to be turned around and he had even prepare to growl and even punch whoever that was to just be alone. He wasn't ready to face reality right now.

But he didn't expect a warm frame pressing against his back, arms wrapping around him tight. Immediately he felt through the bond a need, a desire to be in touch with him, to love him and it was too much for him. "Sides...," he whispered as he turned his helm around, only to meet a pair of eager lips as they pressed against his.

Sideswipe quickly deepened the kiss, roughly invaded Sunstreaker's mouth with his glossa. The yellow mech didn't mind rough interfacing but he wasn't exactly in the mood right now. He tried to get away from his brother's mouth and arms, kept mumbling as Sideswipe nipped his lower lips, "Sides... I... don't... want... to..."

Sideswipe stopped for a moment as he gazed into his twin's cerulean optics, holding all of his desire and pleas in his looks, "Please... I **need** you. Please let me be with you. I love you."

Sunstreaker gasped as he felt Sideswipe's demands to be close to him so strongly through their bond. His looks. His words. His feelings. How could Sunstreaker say no to those pleading optics? To the faceplate that he loved so much?

_But we're twins._

He battled in his processor, wondering if he should just shove Sideswipe away and continued to drown in his sorrow and shame. But then he thought of the moment when he had hurt Sideswipe's feelings with a lie that turned out to the truth. _Sideswipe deserves better_. He thought, sighed and turned around to look back at his brother.

"Y-you know... Bluestreak... is in... here... right?"

"I don't care. I just want you," Sideswipe muttered as he gently kissed Sunstreaker's nose, "I want to make you feel good. I want to make you forget of what happened. Forget Crawler. Like what you did to me. You helped me forget Skywarp."

Sunstreaker looked at Sideswipe, didn't know what to say. Sideswipe was his twin brother, but he was also the mech Sunstreaker couldn't imagine a life without him. The mech that had held him, had kissed and loved him and eased his troubled, painful past. Silently, he nodded as he leaned closer to kiss Sideswipe.

Maybe... just for one last time. Before he came to accept the fact that they were brothers and they shouldn't be together like this.

He thought as Sideswipe kissed back, gently pushed Sunstreaker lying down as he sat up, bending over him. Quickly, the red mech settled himself between his brother's legs as he deepened the kiss, servos roaming everywhere on his heated frame and stopped as his interfacing parts. He growled between the kiss, demanding the yellow mech to open his covers and only stopped when his brother did as he asked, revealing his dry valve and unpressurized spike. Almost immediately, Sideswipe rubbed his servos against his brother's valve and spike, trying to get him charge-up. Sunstreaker couldn't help but noticed Sideswipe's strange impatience, as if he wanted this to be a fast frag rather than a slow love making.

And it was too fast for Sunstreaker's liking.

He tried to tell Sideswipe to slow down but the red mech kept his firm lips locked onto Sunstreaker's. It suddenly came to his processor that maybe Sideswipe needed this more than he did, as if he was trying to be intimate with him to let go of the fact that his lover had been assaulted, to calm and remind himself that his lover, his brother, was finally here with him, safe and sound. It was the only explanation Sunstreaker could think of with all of the desire Sideswipe kept sending into their bond. He felt himself getting weaker at the red mech's strong affection, wanting to lift Sideswipe up from whatever had made him down, wanting to give him everything he got. That was why he didn't protest when Sideswipe eased a digit into his valve. But it didn't make him any less uncomfortable than he already was, especially when he kept having flashbacks about Crawler and his thugs. Sunstreaker tried to push Crawler away, tried to have his optics onlined to focus on Sideswipe, to constantly remind him that Sideswipe would never do anything to hurt him.

But his spark pulsed too fast as his fear grew when Sideswipe pushed the second digit into him. Sensing his fear and discomfort, the red mech immediately stopped the kiss, "It's ok, Sunny. I won't hurt you. You know I'll never do that. Just look at me and don't think about anything else."

Sunstreaker stared back at Sideswipe as he kept reminding himself this was the mech he trusted, the mech that would never do anything to hurt him. Silently, he nodded and kissed the gladiator back. _Sideswipe will never hurt him. Will never do what Crawler and Lockdown did to him. Never._

Even though he kept these thoughts running around inside his processor like a mantra, Sunstreaker started to experience mixed vision of reality and memory loops, constantly mistook Sideswipe for Crawler. Ratchet had told him about this was usual for rape victims or anyone who just gone through traumatic events, but Sunstreaker would have never thought that he would be one of them. And it was horrible as he couldn't enjoy his last intimate time with Sideswipe, constantly trying to stop himself from freaking out, trying to love his brother back so that he wouldn't hurt him or make him down again.

He didn't know if Sideswipe could pick up his mixed feelings or not, but the red mech kept locking their lips and glossas together, sometimes stopped to mumble words of consolation, "I won't hurt you, Sunny. It's going to be alright," before continuing swallowing his brother's gasps, moans and whimpers in their kisses. Sunstreaker twitched and winced in pain as Sideswipe put in his third digit when his brother's valve started to produce lubricants. But the lubricants were still too thin and little and Sunstreaker's valve was still too sore and not stretched enough.

"Si...Sides...," Sunstreaker whimpered between their kiss, "...hu-hurt... don't...!"

Before Sideswipe could react, the twins jumped as they heard banging on the door and Ironhide's angry voice soon followed, "Sideswipe, you fragging glitch! Open this door right now or I'll break it down!"

It was then Sunstreaker realized the doorpad's light was shining in red, a sign of it being locked from the inside. "Wh-wha... happened...?" he widened his optics as he asked Sideswipe.

"Nothing," Sideswipe frowned and bowed down to kiss Sunstreaker again to stop him from asking anything else. His digits thrust in his brother's valve faster as he ignored Sunstreaker's uncomfortable whimpers.

"Sideswipe! Open right now! You'd better not fragging Sunstreaker again! You two are twins! You aren't supposed to frag each other!"

Ironhide's angry reminder had sent a wave of panic and woke Sunstreaker's up from his temptation of being intimate with Sideswipe for the last time. He gripped Sideswipe's shoulders and tried to shove him away, but then the red mech moved to tease and bite his helm fins, digits had withdrawn from the under-stretched valve and arms had wrapped around the yellow twin, hugging him too tight to fight his breakout attempts.

"Sides... s-stop! W-why... are yo-u for... forcing me? I don't w-want this!"

Sideswipe didn't reply, but kept sending his longing and silent pleas and even apologies towards their twins bond. It was more like desperation, like Sideswipe knew too well how his brother and maybe everyone on this planet would refuse to acknowledge their feelings. And bearing a tiny hope, that Sideswipe said through his actions, that Sunstreaker would agree to love him back, to go against all social prejudges and hurtful glares and mechs turning their backs on them.

Sunstreaker wanted to love Sideswipe. He wouldn't lie. No mechs had ever captured his spark completely like him. And yet...

He didn't know what to do anymore.

Suddenly, Crawler's face flashed through his optics as he felt the mech above him grinding his codpiece against his. Ironhide's angry voice. The loud banging against the door. Sideswipe's desperation. Crawler's face and the vision of the past. His own growing fear and discomfort. Sunstreaker felt like his spark was about to explode. In a sudden act of panic, he pushed Sideswipe off him and landed a hard punch on his face, enough to almost make the red mech fell off the berth. _He wouldn't let that fragger touch him again. He wouldn't-_

It was then Sunstreaker realized he just had another memory loop as he saw Sideswipe's pained faceplate. The red mech looked like he had just woken up from a long recharge, rubbing his jaw as he was trying to think what he had just done.

"Y...you... are... hu-hurting me...," Sunstreaker mumbled, but nonetheless still lift a servo to gently touch Sideswipe's face, "I-I'm sorry..."

"No... **I**... **I'm** sorry...," Sideswipe mumbled, a servo gripped Sunstreaker's tight before he laid a gentle kiss upon its palm, "I'm sorry... I shouldn't have done that. I'm so sorry. Oh Sunny..."

The gladiator bowed down once more to lightly kiss Sunstreaker's forehelm as a way to apologize. Then he sat up, servos moved down to gently close Sunstreaker's interfacing covers and climbed off the berth. The yellow mech looked at Sideswipe, then offlined his optics and turned away as he couldn't bear to see the pained expressions on his twin brother's face anymore.

Sideswipe stepped closer to the door, unlocked and let it slide opened, revealing a very angry Battlemaster and Lockdown, having more dents than the last time Sideswipe had seen him, probably the result of his attempts to hold Ironhide back. Immediately seeing the red gladiator, Ironhide stormed in and quickly asked, "What have you done, you stupid glitch? I-"

"-We didn't do anything," Sideswipe said bitterly, "We only talked, alright? Nothing happened. You can ask Bluestreak."

Ironhide frowned; eyeing Sideswipe suspiciously then looked at Sunstreaker, "Really?"

"...Yeah," Sideswipe mumbled, then quickly walked away before both Ironhide and Lockdown could ask anything more.

* * *

First Aid went to Ratchet's office only to find the doctor lying alone on a couch.

Meanwhile, the old red mech's angry yelling could be heard throughout the small clinic. Although his exact words were a bit hard to catch, the nurse still received tons of complaints from the patients that were enough to upgrade this clinic into a fully functional hospital. First Aid had gone to check on Ratchet and his unconsciousness meant that whatever had happened to Sunstreaker, it must be very, very, very bad. _Bad_ might even be an understatement. The nurse let out a heavy sigh, then turned around, intended to grab a blanket and an energon cube for Ratchet but stopped when he noticed the doctor's sudden moan and slight movement.

"Ugh... First Aid?" Ratchet groaned and slowly sat up.

"Doctor, are you alright?" First Aid stepped closer to the old doctor.

"I just had a horrible recharge... I saw Sunstreaker again but the reason why he hadn't commed me for such a long time was because he had been forced to become a pleasure mech and..." he paused and slowly turned his tired gaze towards First Aid. After a couple of kliks later, he growled, "...it's real, isn't it?"

Didn't know what to say not to upset the doctor more, First Aid silently nodded, then ran out of the room to get Ratchet a warm energon cube.

"I should have gone with him. If I did, he wouldn't..." Ratchet mumbled, not recognizing he was all alone now in the office, "...the enhancement... nobody said anything to me about this. It can't be..."

He buried his faceplate in his servos. Frame slightly shook as he remembered the orn Sunstreaker had told him he would leave Iacon in search for his long lost twin.

_I'm going with you._

_No, Ratchet. I'm going to bring him back. He's my brother. My responsibility. My other half._

He didn't know that would be the last time he saw the proud and seemingly unbreakable Sunstreaker. He had spoken with a strong, full of determination voice. He had even given his caretaker a rare smile that he wouldn't give freely to anyone else. And now? The Sunstreaker that came back to Ratchet's arms was a broken mech. Curling silently in the deepest, darkest corner of a room, drowning in his bitter sorrow, refusing to meet everybody's optics and constantly being haunted by the past traumatized events. Dents and dusts covered his once well-kept frame. His proud optics now shone dimly and even his voice was bearing too much sadness that tore Ratchet's spark to pieces.

_I'm going to bring him back._

"I want **you** back..."

Ratchet mumbled; processor started to play back the old memories. The memories in which Sunstreaker was still the arrogant, proud and ridiculously vain mech. When exactly did things start to turn into a complete mess? Was it the moment when Sunstreaker found out he had a twin brother? Or was it when he decided to leave Iacon in search for him? Or was it when Ratchet hadn't tried hard enough to convince Sunstreaker to let him come with him?

He should have gone after him. He should have tried to get the truth from Sunstreaker when he had finally answered his comm.

And then Ratchet realized he had given up.

_"Where were you when he was tricked and raped and almost offlined? What kind of caretakers are you? You should have been there for him! You shouldn't have let him be alone like that!"_

"Frag..."

Ratchet cursed at the thought, and then shivered at the harsh words that the old red mech had thrown at him. He stood up, let out a sigh and almost immediately stormed out of his office. His steps weighted heavily, letting out loud noise as he walked through the hallway. As First Aid had just come out of the storage with a small energon cube in his servo, he slightly jumped as he almost pumped into the old doctor.

"Doctor?"

"You have the clinic for the time being, First Aid. I have a very serious matter regarding Sunstreaker that I need to attend to."

"What are you going to do? Where are you going?"

Ratchet stopped suddenly and turned back to look at First Aid.

"I'm going to find out more about this enhancement to know what we're up against. First Aid, I'm going to bring **him** back."

First Aid, still didn't understand what _'enhancement'_ Ratchet was talking about, tilted his helm.

"I'm going with you."

The sudden, strange voice caught the attention of both the nurse and the doctor. Stepping out from behind a corner, Sideswipe moved fast towards Ratchet, wary optics shone with strange and similar determination.

For a klik, Ratchet almost thought he saw Sunstreaker in Sideswipe's place.

 


	13. Remembrances

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sunstreaker found motivation in strange place. Meanwhile, Sideswipe and Ratchet continued to find answers in memories of a mech that had returned to the AllSpark. And Ironhide finally received words from Prowl.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Klik ~ a Cybertronian second
> 
> Cycle ~ a Cybertronian minute
> 
> Megacycle ~ a Cybertronian hour
> 
> Orn ~ a Cybertronain day
> 
> Quintun ~ a Cybertronian week
> 
> Diun ~ a Cybertronian month
> 
> Stellar cycle ~ a Cybertronian year

 "Do you have any regrets for what you've done to Sunstreaker?"

First Aid asked as he examined Lockdown's servoless arm. The black and green mech let out a dry laugh, then said, "You guys just keep reminding me like that, huh? Never a dull moment. Always having to remember how much of a fragger I am."

"You **are** ," First Aid firmly stated.

Lockdown snorted, but didn't reply. To be honest, he was thankful since First Aid was the only mech in this place that had actually cared to take a look at Lockdown's worn-out frame and servoless arm. The nurse had showed Lockdown a kindness that would usually have no place in Kaon. However, Lockdown could guess that First Aid, in fact, bore no love towards him, he could despise him even. His eagerness to help Lockdown only came from his duty and obligations as a life-saving nurse.

After Sideswipe had stormed out of the room, Sunstreaker hadn't stayed there any longer either. He had quickly gotten off his berth, walked passed Ironhide and Lockdown and left the room. The old Battlemaster had let him go, and instead approached Bluestreak, who had been hiding under his blanket all that time. Lockdown had been standing like a statue with thoughts crowded his processor, optics silently observed Ironhide trying to comfort the young Enforcer. He hadn't known how long he had stood there. Reality had only snapped back to him when First Aid had appeared and pulled him into another room for examination.

"I can replace your servo, Lockdown. Despite how horrible it looked, this isn't exactly a hard task," First Aid said as he had just finished filing a report on Lockdown's wound.

The black and green mech frowned, "Hmm," he pondered, red optics fixed on the nurse for a while before shifting towards his servoless arm, "A simple scratch in comparison to Sunstreaker's..."

First Aid didn't comment anything on that statement, simply patiently waiting for Lockdown to finish.

"No, I don't want a servo," finally, Lockdown shook his helm, "I don't need another slagging **reminder** for what I've done to… him."

First Aid simply nodded, "Then we're done here," and then he walked out of the room without saying any more words.

* * *

Iacon was nothing like Kaon.

Sideswipe thought as he silently drove behind Ratchet, following him through tidied and safe streets around the loud, lively city of Iacon. Smiles. Laughters. Mechs holding servos. Vehicles running around with no fear of anything. They carried burdens that were unfamiliar to mechs in Kaon. They worried about their lovelife, about keeping their jobs and not pissing off their bosses, mundane daily tasks like trying not to forget buying groceries or picking up their sparklings from playgrounds. How many of them actually know the fear of being homeless, struggling to survive, to stay away from unspeakable dangers that shadowed above their helms every step they took? Even for an upper-class gladiator like Sideswipe, he wouldn't dare to walk alone on Kaon's streets when the night fell down.

This city was built on order while Kaon was the embodiment of chaos. It was a safe haven in comparison to the City of the Oppressors.

During the time when Sideswipe had been a very young sparkling and Ironhide still being an Enforcer, the old mech had adopted him from an orphan going by the name _Second Chance_ in Iacon. Stellar cycles later, due to Ironhide's transfer order, the caretaker and his sparkling had to move to Kaon. Even then, Sideswipe had been still too young to remember much about this place. His life as he knew it mainly evolved around fighting in the Kaon's Arena and trying not to get in so many troubles. His memories of Iacon came from the times he went there to take part in the CGT. At those times, he had more serious matters in his processor than Iacon's landscapes to think about.

 _::Where are we going?::_ he asked Ratchet as they had just passed the third crossroads.

 _::The AllSpark Archive. We're going to ask an old friend of mine for a favor,::_ replied Ratchet, _::Have you ever been there?::_

 _::No,::_ Sideswipe answered, _::The Archive in Kaon is only available for upper-class mechs but me and Ironhide never really had any reasons to go there::_

_::I see::_

_The AllSpark Archive_ was a place where deceased mechs' data were stored. It stood as a memorial for whose sparks had returned to the AllSpark, as a reminder that when a frame couldn't linger, memories went on. Usually, only families of the deceased could gain access to their loved ones' data, either for safe-keeping or remembering the good old times. Such service in Kaon could be seen as a luxury. Not only it took Credits, it was also because mechs there were constantly exposed to all sorts of dangers and there were mechs offlined on a daily basis.

 _::How did you two meet?::_ suddenly, Ratchet asked.

Sideswipe stayed silent for a couple of kliks, then answered, _::Would you really want to know?::_

Ratchet didn't reply since he knew too well what Sideswipe meant. The red mech was a gladiator and Sunstreaker had been a pleasure mech. There was only one scenario where they could meet.

 _::Do you_ _ **hate**_ _me? I mean… more?::_ Sideswipe continued.

Hate? For what reasons? For loving Sunstreaker? For not recognizing they were brothers? For protecting him and carrying him back into his caretaker's arms?

 _::You were there for him._ _**You** _ _were there… when_ _**I** _ _couldn't. Hate isn't a right word. I don't hate you, but should I feel happy because you two are together? Tell me, how_ _**should** _ _I feel? You made him happy. When I heard his voice, for the first time I actually believed my sparkling could finally have a future with a mech he truly loved. And then we talked. You told me you loved him, valued him even above your own life. It felt_ _**good** _ _. It_ _**had** _ _felt good. And_ _**now** _ _? How_ _**should** _ _I feel? You two are brothers. There are hundreds of reasons you shouldn't be in love with each other::_

 _::Ratchet…::_ Sideswipe vented heavily, _::I_ _ **can't**_ _. I can't stop loving him. When he told me we were brothers, I felt like slag. I was ready to accept the truth that we couldn't be together. But after what had happened… how_ _ **could**_ _I? I know you and Ironhide wouldn't accept us, but… but-::_

 _::-I know, Sideswipe. Let's just… focus on the task. For now::_ Ratchet said, then drove faster. The red mech didn't say anything more afterward and instead silently and obediently followed the doctor.

* * *

" _He had been at the bottom of the world, having lost his family and almost his own life._ _They had stepped on him, pushed him down into a bottomless pit and now it was time he crawled his way back up."_

Sunstreaker sat silently on his berth, listening to the narration of the movie he had accidently stumbled across on his datapad. He had retreated back into his own room in Ratchet's clinic after Sideswipe had left. This was his place, the only place where he could truly be alone, could ignore everyone and could, even for a short moment, pretend that everything that had happened to him wasn't real. His room was still the same as the orn he had left Iacon. The place was clean, though, proving that either Ratchet or First Aid did come in daily to keep it that way. A simple task that meant they had missed him, and that they had always made sure his room was always ready to welcome him home. Probably the most painful thing to find in the room when Sunstreaker had stepped into it was a little note sticking on the wall near his berth and his stack of sketches.

_We missed you. Welcome home._

The note said. Sunstreaker had to look away afterward, trying not to remind himself how he had made such a wrong decision to go to Kaon alone. Trying to find something else to occupy his processor, Sunstreaker had climbed onto his berth, turned on his old datapad that had been silently lying on the berthside table. He hadn't known what he should be looking for. He had been spending times reading news around Iacon, not that there were many exciting news aside from the upcoming _CGT_. He had even read the same article about some mech had lost his pet twice and hadn't even noticed. No matter what he did, his processor still found its way back to the dark memories about Crawler, about Lockdown and even about Sideswipe.

Sideswipe.

He would never have guessed that designation would hurt him so much whenever he thought about it. He hated that it hurt when it shouldn't. He hated that he had had the opportunities to realize who Sideswipe truly was, but had refused to look into it because his spark had demanded to be loved by him.

And then, he stumbled across a movie about a mech, having been betrayed and lost everything in his life, went on a quest of vengeance. The story was cliché, painfully cheesy and sometime didn't make any sense. It was laughable, but Sunstreaker hadn't been able to take his optics off it as he witnessed the mech stubbornly trying to crawl his way back to life.

" _Beaten. But not broken."_

The narration continued. The mech was betrayed by the ones he called friends. His bondmate and sparkling were murdered and even he was almost offlined. He had been in heavy depression; he had lost everything and had even thought about ending his own life. Sunstreaker watched as he was stabbed in the back by his best friend, watched as he struggled to find a motivation to live, a reason to trust other mechs again, to trust that they wouldn't hurt him like his friend had, to see that there was still hope for him. Sunstreaker remembered Lockdown and how he had tricked him for whatever reasons, and how that event had affected him horribly.

And then he met Sideswipe.

A bitter smile subconsciously appeared on the tired faceplate. His optics refreshed once. Then twice. Shone dimly as he remembered all the time he had been with Sideswipe. He had never thought that happiness would come to a mech like him after what Lockdown had done to him. Sideswipe made him believe that there would be a future for both of them, an unreal future where he would be free of Lockdown and started a life with the red gladiator. But Sunstreaker knew now that vision would never come true. In which society where a pair of twins could love each other in ways they shouldn't was accepted? Were there any certainties that Sunstreaker wouldn't, even unintentionally, hurt Sideswipe?

Sunstreaker watched as the mech in the movie found motivations in his own loss and anger. On his quest of vengeance, he was beaten, insulted, looked down and had even thought about giving up. The yellow mech watched as he recalled every single time he had to serve violent clients. Then, suddenly, Crawler's unforgettable faceplate flashed in front of Sunstreaker's optics. What Lockdown had done to him was unforgivable, but Crawler…

Sunstreaker wanted him offlined.

That hideous excuse of a mech had stripped away his pride and dignity. He had hurt him not once but twice. Had humiliated him. Had threatened him. Had made Sunstreaker choose to be offline rather than to serve him. Suicide was never the answer. It was a coward's way as Sunstreaker had always thought. But Crawler had made him rather chose to be a coward than to live his life as a slave. Even when Sunstreaker had escaped his grasp, Crawler still haunted and mentally hurt him. No matter how far he ran, he would always find that ugly faceplate every time he turned around.

The yellow frame shook and optics offlined as he suddenly remembered the moment when Crawler had thrown his badly injured frame on the berth and, together with his thugs, had forced themselves on him. Sunstreaker tried to shut those dark memories out of his processor, but he could still hear Crawler's cruel laughs, still feel those creepy servos on his platings as they molested his defeated frame.

" _You still have your life, don't you? What are you going to do about that?"_

Sunstreaker onlined his optics to look at the mech in the movie. This mech was the protagonist's only friend after he had been betrayed, acting as his voice of reasons and loyal companion. He was looking at the screen, at the audience, at Sunstreaker.

" _It's not the end and you know it. Everything… everything is going to be alright, if you really want it to."_

The mech smiled.

_It's going to be alright._

Those were the words Sideswipe had told him during their first love making. And even after, the two of them had repeated these words many times, trying to remind each other that it was alright to trust again. Not just in themselves. Not just in a seemingly foolish dream of being together. But also in life. It was a statement to rebel against all of the most unfortunate events that could happen to the two of them. Kaon was not the end and Sunstreaker knew it.

He still had his life.

"It's going to be alright…"

Sunstreaker mumbled and pressed a servo on his chassis. Processor drifted back to the old memories as he silently continued to watch the movie.

* * *

"Sideswipe!"

Ratchet snapped his digits in front of Sideswipe's optics. The red mech startled at the sound, optics wide opened as if he had just woken up from a deep recharge.

"For a moment I thought you had a malfunction. You just stood there, dumbfounded," Ratchet frowned.

"I'm fine. It's just…," Sideswipe said as he gently touched his chestplate, "...I felt Sunny. Through our twins bond."

Ratchet tilted his helm, then softly asked, "How is he?"

"I don't know. It's… confusing. He's confused. He's hurt. But there is… something **more** … that I couldn't figure out...," Sideswipe muttered, "...I want to be there with him." As he said, the red mech silently sent through the bond his consolations, trying to comfort his brother.

Ratchet, strangely, didn't say anything in response to Sideswipe. His optics and facial expressions were unreadable. In the end, he just let out a sigh, turned around to continue to walk towards the tall building that was labeled _The AllSpark Archive_. Sideswipe didn't know how to understand Ratchet, how to talk to him and try to convince him that no matter what his love for Sunstreaker would be unchanged. Ratchet and Sunstreaker were very much alike, but also were so different from each other. They were moody, stubborn yet level-headed and unpredictable. But Sunstreaker was his lover while Ratchet was not. Sideswipe couldn't reach the doctor with the same ways he had done with the yellow mech.

"Ratchet, my old friend. What brings you here?"

A tall mech in red and blue waved at Ratchet as he saw him approaching the Archive. The doctor smiled, shook his servo and then replied.

"Orion Pax, long time no see. How are you?"

"Everything is as normal as it can get, Ratchet," Orion gently smiled back, "And this is…?" He tilted his helm towards the gladiator.

"An acquaintance. He's Sideswipe," then Ratchet turned to look at the red mech, "Sideswipe, this is Orion Pax, he's an archivist at the Archive, and a close friend of mine."

Sideswipe greeted the archivist with a friendly smile and a nod, then let Ratchet continued, "Orion, I have a favor to ask."

"Anything for you, friend," the archivist simply nodded.

"You won't want to say that after you hear what I'm going to ask," Ratchet said, "I need to get access to Hazard's data."

Sideswipe frowned at the strange designation. He wondered who Hazard was, but stayed silent nonetheless and let Ratchet handle the situation. Meanwhile, Orion Pax widened his optics, then calmly replied.

"Ratchet, if you want to read Hazard's data, why not bringing Sunstreaker? He's **his** adopted sparkling, right? Only he has the rights to gain access to Hazard's memories. A patient of yours told me that he's back, hasn't he?"

 _Oh,_ Sideswipe silently thought.

"I know. But… it's complicated, Orion," Ratchet let out a sigh.

"What happened?" The archivist put a servo on Ratchet's shoulder, worriedly asked.

"Things went wrong," Ratchet simply said, "Maybe someday I'll tell you everything. But for now, please let me see Hazard's data. It's very important."

The archivist frowned and then offlined his optics, deep in thoughts. It wasn't hard to see this wasn't an easy request for him. A couple of cycles later, Orion sighed, onlined his optics and looked back at his friend, who had been fixing his pleading optics on him.

"Alright. I trust you, Ratchet. I believe you have a good reason for doing this."

The mech said and then quickly led Ratchet and Sideswipe inside the Archive, passed multiple doors and hallways into a small room where visitors stayed to relive their love ones' memories. The gladiator was quiet throughout the way, kept wondering what Sunstreaker's caretaker was like, and why he hadn't adopted both of them. Ironhide had said that he hadn't known Sideswipe had a brother, and that he had only seen him being alone in the orphan. So Hazard, as Sideswipe had just known, must have left him behind for some reasons.

"I didn't know Sunstreaker had a brother, Sideswipe."

Ratchet looked at Sideswipe and suddenly said. Meanwhile, Orion Pax had his back on them, turning on a computer in the corner of the room and started locating Hazard's data through it. The gladiator stayed silent for a few kliks before finally replying, remembered how Ironhide had told him the same when he had asked the old mech why he hadn't let him know he had a brother, "It's not your fault. Hazard was the one who adopted Sunny."

"But had I known… I could have convinced him to take you both, or I could adopt you myself," Ratchet shook his helm, sounded more like he was talking to himself rather than Sideswipe, "But I guess it doesn't matter now."

"Did you know why Hazard didn't adopt us both?" Sideswipe asked. Not far from them, Orion Pax had found the mentioned mech's data and started downloading it into a datapad.

"To be honest? I didn't. He passed away when Sunstreaker found out about you."

Sideswipe refreshed his optics once, then continued, "How did Sunny find out about me anyway?"

"Sunstreaker found Hazard's journal. He finally let him know stellar cycles **after** he had offlined," Ratchet answered concisely, "Took him long enough, for sure."

There was bitterness in Ratchet's voice as he finished his answer. It sounded like the doctor was blaming Hazard for keeping this a secret for too long. With everything that had happened, Sideswipe understood why Ratchet felt this way towards a mech that only existed now in data. He wondered what would have happened if Hazard had adopted them both. They would have been raised as brothers and all of this incestious relationship wouldn't have happened.

Or would it?

Sideswipe didn't know which answer he would prefer.

"There, Ratchet," Orion said as he handed Ratchet the datapad with some cables, "I've downloaded all of Hazard's data into this datapad. And…," he sighed, "...I hope you find what you're looking for."

"You and me both," Ratchet nodded, "Thank you, Orion."

"Anytime, my friend."

The archivist smiled and then walked out of the room, returning the privacy to the two mechs. After Orion had left, Ratchet gave Sideswipe a cable, "Plug this into your access port."

"What do you hope to find inside Hazard's memories?" Sideswipe asked as he slid the cover on the back of his helm to reveal the port and did as Ratchet told him to.

"Hazard must know something about the enhancement," Ratchet said as he did the same, servo quickly plugged the ends of the two cables into the datapad, "He was Sunstreaker's Battlemaster. So he might be the one who planted it inside his spark. If he didn't, he must know who did."

"Hazard might know something that Lockdown doesn't," Sideswipe agreed, "Let's do this."

Ratchet nodded, then started to open the data and let Hazard's memories flood into his and Sideswipe's systems. Reality shattered into pieces as they soon realized they were no longer standing in the room inside the Archive. Data from the past quickly formed into shapes and figures in front of their optics. The thing was, these weren't even their optics.

They were seeing through Hazard's optics.

Sideswipe found himself standing in front of an orphan labeled _Second Chance_ , surrounded by vision of the old times. Ironhide had told him he had adopted the gladiator from here. This was the only place where he and Sunstreaker had been together throughout their childhood. But the mech that was seeing everything of this, the mech that was walking towards the orphan and greeting the receptionist wasn't Sideswipe, or Ratchet. It was Hazard. Reading a mech's memories was like watching a movie in entirely first-person. As Hazard walked passed a decorated mirror on the wall, Sideswipe finally had the chance to see his faceplate and all of its features. The mech carried battle scars on his face, didn't bother fixing them up and instead wore them like some kind of badges. His huge frame painted in grey with a mix of red and black stripes. Four large wheels dominated his enormous shoulders and his optics shone brightly in orange light.

A strong and proud mech who had lived up to his title as a seasoned Battlemaster.

::So… this is Hazard,:: Sideswipe mumbled, ::Was this the moment when he… adopted Sunny? You think that he implanted the enhancement since Sunny was still… this young?::

::I don't know. We have to make sure, though:: Ratchet answered. Even though Sideswipe couldn't see where the doctor was, he knew he was seeing the same thing.

They heard Hazard's rough voice speaking to the receptionist, introducing himself as a Battlemaster looking for a potential sparkling to adopt and raise him to become a strong gladiator. The receptionist didn't seem to be impressed, but still did his job and led the Battlemaster into a room where they could see some little sparklings were deep in recharge. The receptionist mentioned a pair of twins that had been left in front of the orphan's door during a cold night. He described them as the toughest little mechs he had ever seen and showed their crib to Hazard.

And it was then Sideswipe saw him and Sunstreaker.

Sideswipe felt like he was choking when he saw him and his brother. They were cuddling, limbs entwined with each other. They were both so small, so… innocent. Sideswipe couldn't help but smile silently at the scene where he - the little sparkling with much more little audial horns - was chewing his twin's small helm fins in his recharge while Sunstreaker just simply mewled in annoyance. And then when Hazard scooped them up into his arms, the twins startled and woke up, almost at the same time. They opened wide their big, bright optics, curiously looked at the strange faceplate that they hadn't seen before.

But to Sideswipe, it looked like they were looking at him.

He and Sunstreaker of the past were looking at **him**.

Sideswipe gasped, didn't know how he could describe the feelings he was having. There was bliss, and strange spark-breaking pain at the same time. If these arms were his, they would have wrapped around these sparklings and held them tight against his chestplate. Then he would have whispered in their audials that he would protect them, would take care of and wouldn't let anything bad happen to them. Maybe it was because of their precious innocence and untested frames that were still in protoforms. Maybe it was because he felt a family bond towards them, because one of them was his younger self, while the other was his beloved twin.

Or maybe because they both started to laugh and then smiled at him, waving their little servos as if they were begging for a treats. Or simply just affection.

::They're so cute...,:: Sideswipe smiled, couldn't take his optics of the pair of chirping twins.

::You two are,:: Ratchet gently corrected him.

" _Which one of them is stronger?"_

Suddenly, Hazard raised his voice, optics still fixed on the twins in his arms. His question surprised the receptionist, _"I… I'm sorry but... what do you mean?"_

" _I'm a Battlemaster. I don't adopt sparklings out of goodwill nor do I have time to raise both of them. I'll only take the stronger one,"_ Hazard spoke in an emotionless tone and repeated his question again, _"Which one?"_

The receptionist looked confused, _"I… I think he's the stronger one of the two…,"_ he said as he reluctantly pointed at Sunstreaker.

" _Very well, then I'll take him."_

Hazard coldly replied, then attempted to return Sideswipe back to his crib. As if sensing they were about to be separated, the smiles upon the twins' faceplates immediately vanished. They held each other's servos, tiny digits squeezed tight so that no one could take them apart. Their happy giggling distorted into cries and hiccups, denying to be taken away from their other half. Sideswipe could sense their pain and distress as if they were his own. His spark broke as he witnessed the twins desperately tried to cling onto each other like it was in their most basic instinct. Pain morphed into rage as he saw how Hazard ignored their spark-breaking shrieking and told the receptionist to hold young Sideswipe back. The receptionist seemed reluctant. He held the little Sideswipe tight against his chestplate as he tried to sooth the crying sparkling, gently rubbing his back up and down. Through Hazard's optics, Sideswipe could see the hurtful looks the receptionist was throwing at Hazard, as if he was silently trying to convince the Battlemaster not to separate them, to take them both even.

How could Hazard be so indifferent towards their cries? How could he look away from the small sparkling that he had left behind, whose place was rightfully next to his twin?

And how, in all of Primus's mercy, could he not feel anything when both of the twins tried to reach their tiny servos out to each other, desperately begging to be together?

Sideswipe helplessly looked at little Sunstreaker, held tight in Hazard's arms, being taken away from him. The little sparkling was crying, dimly lit optics erratically looked around, trying to look for his missing brother figure. Even though he still couldn't form words, Sideswipe understood what little Sunstreaker tried to say.

_Where is he? Where is my brother? Where are you taking me? Bring me back to him!_

And then, suddenly, everything went black.

Kliks later, the view of the small room at the Archive returned in front of Sideswipe's optics as Ratchet had quickly stopped the memories simulation. It was then the red mech realized he had held high his servo, as if he had been trying to reach out to the little twins in Hazard's memories. Maybe to his younger self to tell him that he would meet his brother again in the future. Maybe to Sunstreaker to hold him and bring him back to his twin. Or maybe to both of them. To a hopeless attempt to reunite them, to stop their spark-breaking cries and desperate pleas. Sideswipe's optics then met Ratchet's and caught the similar sadness in them.

"I'm sorry you have to see all of that…"

The doctor said, stepping closer to the gladiator and gently touched his raising servo.

Sideswipe vented heavily, curling digits into fist and slowly lowered his servo. He looked away from Ratchet's optics, "I didn't think… it would hurt this much. I knew what to expect… but…"

"I'm sorry, Sideswipe. I should have known…," Ratchet shook his helm, "I'll continue to look into Hazard's memories. If you want, you can go back to the clinic and take a res-"

"No," Sideswipe quickly said, staring back at Ratchet, "I want to see **more**."

Ratchet frowned. There was an unshaken determination in Sideswipe's voice and optics. Having a lifetime dealing with too many stubborn mechs, Ratchet knew there would be no easy ways to tell the red mech to back off. Truthfully, Ratchet was also affected by the scene in which Hazard had adopted Sunstreaker. He loved the yellow mech like he was his own sparkling and seeing the little one crying his spark out like that hurt him deeply. But he knew this wasn't the time for grief, and that they couldn't afford to have two spark-breaking mechs right now.

Emotional mechs like Sideswipe and Ironhide tended to make mistakes when they let their feelings led them astray. Ratchet hoped that somewhere along the way, Lockdown was wrong, or had missed something that could save both the twins' life without involving another kind of crime.

Still looking at Sideswipe, Ratchet nodded. His digits found their way to the datapad. Kliks later, the room disappeared and the mechs again found themselves exploring Hazard's pieces of memories, hoping to find **something** that could stop the time bomb that had been residing inside the twins' sparks.

* * *

_**Megacycles later, back at Ratchet's clinic...** _

"How's Bluestreak?"

Lockdown asked Ironhide as he entered the guest room. The old mech turned to look at him for a klik, then back at the young Enforcer, who was silently sitting on his berth, reading a datapad. Ironhide then stood up and led Lockdown out of the room. Just as the door closed, he replied.

"I'm worried. He hadn't said a word ever since we left Kaon. And this is **Bluestreak** we're talking about. At least he's stopped trying to find something to hide behind, though," he leaned against the wall, staring at Lockdown, "How about you? Did you contact any Opidium smugglers?"

"I did," Lockdown nodded, lowered his voice, "But to find a more… **suitable** one, it's going to take some times. They aren't the most pleasant crowd to run with, you know."

Ironhide frowned. As he was about to speak, he stopped as they heard footsteps and caught the familiar shade of yellow approaching both of them. Quickly, Ironhide threw Lockdown a look and whispered, "Not a word to Sunstreaker about all of these." The yellow mech had already gone through enough so he didn't need another bad news.

Kliks later, Sunstreaker had stood in front of the two mechs, unreadable optics studied them carefully. Ironhide was the first to speak, "How are you, Sunstreaker? Better?"

Sunstreaker slightly bowed down, then slowly nodded. Whether he was telling the truth or not remained to be seen. Before Ironhide could say anything more, the yellow mech had his optics on Lockdown and started to speak.

"Lockdown…"

His voice startled both of the mech. It wasn't Sunstreaker's usual voice. It seemed to be his vocal cord was able to form words properly now, but still hadn't finalize its tone. His voice sounded like a hundred mechs were speaking in unison, trying to figure out which one it should choose. It was rough and still filled with static, but strangely melodically.

"What is it, Sunstreaker?" Lockdown finally replied. He knew sooner or later he and Sunstreaker would have _"the talk"_. It didn't take a genius to guess it wouldn't end well.

The yellow mech paused, looking away for a couple of kliks, "Do you remember what you used to call me?"

Lockdown stayed silent.

Sunstreaker stared into his ex-lover's red optics, growling. His current voice succeeded in making it sound even more dangerous than his usual threatening tone, "Your **turbofox**. You said that **I** was your turbofox, one that **you** held the leash."

Ironhide frowned, but didn't say anything. He could have walked away, letting Lockdown and Sunstreaker deal with themselves. But he knew that would be a terrible idea. Sunstreaker was unstable, and Primus knew what he would do to make Lockdown pay for what he did. Another murder, especially one that could affect Crawler's arrest, should be avoidable right now. So he stayed, watching the mechs and be ready to intervene if the situation called for it.

"Sunstreaker…," Lockdown sighed, but before he could continue, Sunstreaker had given him a harsh glare.

"You know, Lockdown, the funny thing is, I used to hate being called like that," the yellow mech said, "Now? Now I remember another story. You know in Iacon Arena, in some combat rounds and challenges, they unleash turbofoxes to attack gladiators. The turbofoxes are usually starved and treated badly so that when they're unleashed, they will fight with a ferocity that bringing down ten gladiators in five cycles is like a walk in the park."

Lockdown sighed. He knew where Sunstreaker was going with this.

"I used to be at the mercy of a turbofox. I still remembered his anger, his hatred for every mech that stood in front of him. He wouldn't care if they were the ones who had starved him, had tortured him, had turned him into a monster that offlining him was counted as an act of mercy."

Sunstreaker's optics suddenly flared brightly, "You were right, Lockdown. I was your leashed turbofox. You tricked me, hurt me, tortured me with your schemes and words and your fragging switch. You forced me to do things that I despised…"

"Sunstreaker, I know that there wouldn't be anything that I can say or do to make up for what I've done to you," Lockdown sadly said, "I'm terribly sorry. I know that I will never be forgiven nor should I be. I-"

Before Lockdown could finish his sentence, he was smashed into the wall and a strong, ruthless servo had wrapped around his neck, painfully choking him. Sunstreaker tightened his grasp, growling with a voice of a hundred mechs. It was intimidating and powerful, as if those words could carry power to offline mechs with just the right frequency.

"Shut-the-frag-up."

"Sunstreaker!" Ironhide stepped forward, intended to separate the yellow mech from Lockdown.

"I'm not going to offline him. For now," Sunstreaker glared at the old mech, "I just want this fragger to understand some things."

And then he returned his attention to the black and green mech, " **Remember** this feeling, Lockdown," he talked in a chillingly threatening whisper as he tightened his grip around the mech's throat, "Remember that I won't hesitate to offline you. The only reason you're still alive this orn is because you're needed to make Crawler pay."

Lockdown choked as Sunstreaker tightened his grip even more, "Remember this feeling because it's what you going to feel if you trick me again, or if you hurt **Sideswipe**. I swear to Primus, if you hurt **him** like you hurt me. I will fragging **end** you. And I'll make sure to make it as painful as possible."

He then let go of Lockdown, making the black and green mech fell down onto his knees and trying to vent. The yellow mech gave him a pathetic look and a scowl. Without saying anything more, he turned around, intended to walk away but soon was stopped by Ironhide's question, "Sunstreaker! What… what are you going to do about Sideswipe?"

Sunstreaker, having his back on the two mechs, didn't reply.

"Sideswipe loves you. And I know that you love him too," Ironhide continued, "But… you two **will** end up hurting each other if this relationship continues."

Deep in thoughts, Sunstreaker vented heavily. After a few kliks, he continued to walk away without giving the old mech any responses. Ironhide's optics confusingly and sadly followed the yellow back until it was finally lost behind a corner. Primus knew what was in Sunstreaker's processor right now. It was only then Ironhide turned to look back at Lockdown, who had finally be able to stand up and seem to be better than he had been cycles ago.

"You had it coming," Ironhide simply said.

"Yeah, I deserved it," Lockdown rubbed his neck, "To be honest, though, it went better than I had expected."

Ironhide shook his helm, looking at Lockdown as the black and green mech went back into the guest room. As the Battlemaster was about to follow to go check on Bluestreak again, his communication system pinged, signalling an incoming message. If it came from someone else, Ironhide wouldn't suddenly be in a mild panic stage like this. After megacycles of disconnection, the old mech had finally received a message from Prowl himself.

He had only hoped…

Still standing where he was, Ironhide opened the message without wasting any more kliks. Not far from him, Lockdown had settled himself on his berth, servo in his audials as he tried to make calls for possible Opidium contacts. Meanwhile, Bluestreak was still silently reading his datapad, seemingly undisturbed by almost everything. About Ironhide, he was relief to receive words from Prowl, though the method of sending messages worried him. It would mean that, for some reasons, Prowl couldn't comm and had to compose a message. He had only hoped that his fear was unnecessary, and that Prowl was simply too busy and sending a message was the only thing he could do to let Ironhide know that he was safe.

Kliks passed, the message started to play as Prowl's faceplate appeared in front of Ironhide's optics.

" _Ironhide, if you're seeing this message, it means that I..._ _ **we**_ _have succeeded in turning the transmission system in Kaon back online. But it also means that…_ _ **something**_ _… might have happened to_ _ **us**_ _since... I might not be able to comm you directly. This message is recorded in advance and is scheduled to be sent to you in case I…_ _ **we**_ _don't make it back to the safehouse and cancel it in order to comm you. The situation is really bad in Kaon. There's going to be_ _ **a war**_ _. Mirage is hurt. Fixit is missing. Chromedome… I wish… I wish he was_ _ **here**_ _."_

Ironhide vented heavily at Prowl's words.

" _Don't come back to Kaon._ _ **No matter what**_ _. Stay there. There's an Iacon spec op agent that will protect all of you. I don't know who he is. Only Jazz does, but he won't let me know. Understandable. There's more._ _ **Skywarp**_ _had left Kaon and was on his way to Iacon."_

There were growing noises in the background. Ironhide could hear Jazz was yelling something, but he couldn't make it out.

" _I have to go. I can only hope that… we can stop all of this before it spread to Iacon. Remember to look out for the sky."_

Once again, the message abruptly ended, leaving only confusion and growing fear inside the Battlemaster's old spark.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading til the end!


End file.
